# NTSB WPR24LA272: Renquist George GS-2 Sportsman, N552GC, Hawthorne, CA, August 8, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: August 7, 2024, 19:15 local (Aug 8, 2024, 02:15 UTC) - Place: Hawthorne, CA · HHR - Coordinates: 33.922816, -118.33531 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9228&lon=-118.3353&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 194909 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR24LA272 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194909/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194909 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA272 ## Probable cause The flight crew’s failure to maintain airspeed during a short field landing and the instructor’s delayed remediation, which resulted in a hard landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Renquist George GS-2 SPORTSMAN, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=056261L), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md) - [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Renquist George GS-2 SPORTSMAN, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=056261L), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Renquist George GS-2 SPORTSMAN, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=056261L), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Renquist George GS-2 SPORTSMAN, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=056261L), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Renquist George GS-2 SPORTSMAN, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=056261L), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot and owner of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that he was performing a short field approach with a flight instructor. During the landing, the instructor took control of the aircraft and pulled the control stick back, to increase the airplane’s pitch, and did not increase engine power. The airspeed decayed and the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall and landed hard. The flight instructor reported that the sport pilot/owner was at the controls during the short field approach, and he had been talking him through the approach. On final approach, the instructor told the pilot to lower the nose and add power. Subsequently, the flight instructor applied full engine power, however, the airplane landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The instructor and the pilot both reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N552GC](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N552GC), registered now, S/N 7266, built 2008 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: RENQUIST GEORGE GS-2 SPORTSMAN - Registry model: [Renquist George GS-2 SPORTSMAN](https://openairdocs.org/model/renquist-george-gs-2-sportsman) (registry code 056261L) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-A1A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-a1a) (registry code 41818, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 7266 - Year built: 2008 - Airframe hours: 898.6 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-A1A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, June 1, 2024, 20.81 hours before - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: KHHR, Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne Municipal Airport, runway 25, 4,884 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, Video recording device, ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 36; injuries: minor; sport pilot, student; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 30, 2024; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 88 total, 44 in this make and model, 37 as pilot in command, 33 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Flight instructor; age 62; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 13,211 total, 2 in this make and model, 13,023 as pilot in command, 71 in the last 90 days, 35 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg - Observed at: KHHR - METAR: KHHR 080153Z 27005KT 10SM CLR 22/17 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP136 T02220172 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20240807015839A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240807015839A), Aug 7, 2024: Renquist George GS-2 SPORTSMAN, Hawthorne, CA, Substantial damage. While practicing a short field landing during an instructional flight the student allowed the airspeed to decay to the point the aircraft stalled near the… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 27, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194909. 6.3 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 14 pages, 3.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18238584&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=pilot%206120%20and%20statement_flat_redacted-Rel.pdf - Cfi/pilot aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 2, PDF, 11 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18239803&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CFI%206120_flat_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 697 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18238956&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=WPR24LA272%20photo%20array-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.