- Date
- January 25, 2020, 12:35 local (19:35 UTC)
- Place
- Prescott, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N31ERCessna 150
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 27, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200125001829A
- Case key
- 100873
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 improper approach and landing flare, which resulted in a stall and a subsequent hard, bounced landing.
Findings · 4
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 pilot reported that, during the descent for a touch-and-go landing, the airplane was not descending, and he noticed that the airplane was high on the approach. The pilot trimmed the airplane for a more nose-down attitude and extended the flaps to 40°. Throughout the descent, the pilot had a difficult time controlling the airplane as it encountered updrafts and a tailwind. After passing the touchdown point on the runway, the airplane stalled, landed hard, and bounced several times. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount assembly. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the descent for a touch-and-go landing, the airplane was not descending and he noticed that he was high on the approach. The pilot trimmed the airplane for a more nose down attitude and extended the flaps to 40o. Throughout the descent, the pilot had a difficult time controlling the airplane as he experienced updrafts and a tailwind. After passing the touchdown point on the runway, the airplane stalled and landed hard on the runway, bouncing several times. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount assembly. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31ER
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (E)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15061072
- Built
- 1964
- Airframe hours
- 9,841
- Engine
- Continental O-200 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical Univ Inc
- Registered owner
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical Univ Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 12, 2019
- Departed
- PRC · Prescott, AZ
- Destination
- PRC · Prescott, AZ
- Airport
- PRC · Prescott Rgnl - Ernest A Love, runway 21R, 4,846 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 139 total · 52 in this make and model · 93 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KPRC
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 10, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.