- Date
- January 13, 2020, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hawthorne, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N805MAirborne XT912
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20200113004059A
- Case key
- 100813
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 student pilot's failure to arrest the airplane’s descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 2
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 solo student pilot reported that, while on approach for landing, the airplane encountered a crosswind gust near the ground. The pilot attempted to abort the landing: however, he could not arrest the descent, and the airplane touched down hard on the runway. The airplane briefly became airborne and then hit the runway hard again, which resulted in the left rear wheel separating from the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the airframe. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that while on approach for landing, the airplane encountered a crosswind gust near the ground. The pilot attempted to abort the landing, however, he could not arrest the descent and the airplane touched down hard on the runway on all three wheels. The airplane briefly became airborne and hit the runway hard again severing the left rear wheel. As a result of the impact, there was substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was light and variable. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that the wind was calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N805M
- Reported as
- Airborne XT912 (L)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- XT-912-0284
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 313
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 2019
- Departed
- HHR · Hawthorne, CA
- Destination
- HHR · Hawthorne, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- HHR · Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne, runway 25, 4,884 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Electronic primary flight display, Airframe parachute, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 18 total · 18 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- HHR
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.