On April 25, 2004, a Piper PA-28R-200 (registration N169JP) operated by Ahart Aviation Services was involved in an aviation accident near Galt, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot under instruction maintained a slow airspeed and misjudged the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a training landing, the student pilot maintained slow airspeed, misjudged the flare, and stalled, resulting in a hard landing. No mechanical issues were reported.
Accident Description
A student pilot, under the supervision of a certified flight instructor (CFI), experienced a hard landing during a training flight. The flight had previously completed several uneventful landings. According to both pilots, on the accident approach, the student pilot maintained a slow airspeed and misjudged the landing flare. The aircraft then stalled and made a hard landing. Both pilots reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine prior to the hard landing.
Pilot Reports
Both the student pilot and the CFI stated that the accident occurred due to the student's slow airspeed on short final and a miscalculated flare, which led to a stall and subsequent hard landing. They confirmed that the aircraft and engine were functioning normally before the event.
Probable cause
The pilot under instruction maintained a slow airspeed and misjudged the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.