- Date
- April 6, 2022, 12:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Palo Alto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6076CCessna 162
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220406004999A
- Case key
- 104905
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 failure to maintain pitch control during a go-around maneuver, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with the ground.
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 reported that, he departed on a solo flight, but decided to turn back to his departure airport after he encountered turbulence. During his return to the airport his altitude indication and some engine instruments were appearing intermittently on the glass panel displays. He flew the airport traffic pattern uneventfully and complied with the instructions he received from air traffic control. The student pilot decided to perform a go-around during his first landing attempt after the airplane bounced. He felt that his approach was stable during his second attempt, but the airplane bounced again during touchdown. The student pilot initiated another go-around, but pulled too far back on the yoke, which resulted in a stall and impact with the ground. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that other than the intermittent instrument indications, there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6076C
- Reported as
- Cessna 162
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16200229
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 2,032
- Engine
- Continental Motors O-200, 100 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fly America Inc
- Registered owner
- Fly America Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 30, 2022 · 1.5 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- PAO · Palo Alto Airport, runway 31, 2,443 × 70 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system
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
- 58
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 8, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 58 total · 58 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KPAO
- METAR
- SPECI KPAO 061915Z 00000KT 10SM SKC 23/M01 A3014 RMK AIRCRAFT MISHAP=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 30, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.