On August 25, 2001, a Beech 19 (registration N2009A) was involved in an aviation accident near Augusta, ME. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's improper execution of a hard landing during touch-and-go practice, which resulted in nose gear collapse and subsequent fuselage contact. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A student pilot experienced a hard landing during touch-and-go practice, resulting in the nose gear collapsing and the aircraft sliding on its fuselage along the remaining runway.
What happened
The incident occurred while a student pilot was conducting touch-and-go landing exercises. During one of these maneuvers, the aircraft touched down with excessive force, resulting in a hard landing. The impact caused the nose landing gear to collapse, allowing the nose wheel to strike the underside of the fuselage. Following the initial impact, the airplane continued to slide along the remaining length of the runway before coming to a complete stop while resting on its nose section.
The investigation
Following the event, the student pilot provided a statement regarding the condition of the aircraft prior to and during the incident. She reported that there were no known mechanical deficiencies or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident. This suggests that the failure was likely due to the forces generated by the hard landing rather than a pre-existing structural or mechanical fault.
Findings
The pilot involved in the accident had a total flight experience of 37 hours. All of this experience was accumulated specifically in the make and model of aircraft involved in the incident. The primary factor leading to the damage was the hard landing during the touch-and-go practice, which exceeded the structural limits of the nose gear assembly.
Probable cause
The student pilot's improper execution of a hard landing during touch-and-go practice, which resulted in nose gear collapse and subsequent fuselage contact.