- Date
- June 20, 2014, 11:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N928PAPiper PA 28-181
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140620013009A
- Case key
- 89503
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate flare and failure to maintain aircraft control during landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot was making the last landing on his solo cross-country flight. On final approach the airspeed was high, and the airplane floated down the runway. The airplane landed hard and bounced back into the air. After the bounce, he applied power to abort the landing, but the airplane landed hard again, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage firewall.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was making the last landing on his solo cross-country flight. On final approach the airspeed was high, and the airplane floated down the runway. The airplane landed hard and bounced back into the air. After the bounce, he applied power to abort the landing, but the airplane landed hard again, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage firewall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N928PA
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-181 (181)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843298
- Built
- 1999
- Airframe hours
- 16,172
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 14, 2014
- Departed
- E25 · Wickenberg, AZ
- Destination
- DVT · Scottsdale, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- DVT · Phoenix Deer Valley, runway 25L, 8,196 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 35 total · 35 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KDVT, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 15, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.