On June 1, 2004, a Cessna 150 (registration N959B) was involved in an aviation accident near Midland, MI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane during the go-around. A factor associated with the accident was the student's lack of experience. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A student pilot lost control during a go-around after a ballooned landing flare. The airplane banked left, the left wing struck the ground, and the aircraft cartwheeled before coming to rest beside a ditch.
Accident Sequence
The accident occurred during a go-around on the student's second supervised solo flight. According to the student pilot, he maintained an airspeed of 70 miles per hour with 20 degrees of flaps until beginning the landing flare. During the flare, the airplane ballooned and drifted slightly to the right. The student applied left aileron in an attempt to realign the airplane, but it veered to the left. He then added full power, at which time the airplane banked to the left. The left wing contacted the ground, and the airplane cartwheeled. It slid across a taxiway and came to rest alongside a ditch. The airplane collided with the terrain following a loss of control during the go-around.
Pilot Background
The student pilot had completed five takeoffs and landings with his flight instructor on the morning of the accident. The accident occurred on his first solo landing of the day. He reported having 0.5 hours of pilot-in-command flight time prior to this flight.