On August 1, 1997, a Cessna 172M (registration N80987) operated by Wade Hester was involved in an aviation accident near Milton, WV. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's loss of control due to stalling the aircraft during a go-around after bouncing on a narrow runway. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A student pilot lost control during a go-around attempt after bouncing on a narrow runway, resulting in a stall due to excessive airspeed bleed-off.
What happened
The incident occurred during an approach to a runway with a width of less than 100 feet. The pilot noted that this was his first experience landing on such a narrow strip. As the aircraft entered the landing flare over the 40-foot wide runway, it bounced multiple times and drifted toward the left side of the pavement. During this sequence, the airplane struck a runway light.
Following the impact, the pilot decided to abort the landing and initiated a go-around by adding nose-up pitch. The student pilot later explained that during this maneuver, he bled off all airspeed, which caused the aircraft to stall.
Probable cause
The student pilot's loss of control due to stalling the aircraft during a go-around after bouncing on a narrow runway.
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