No fatalities

25 Jun 2008: Piper PA-28-181 — Sabena Airline Training Center, Inc. — Mesa, AZ

Mesa, AZ, United States

On 25 Jun 2008, a Piper PA-28-181 operated by Sabena Airline Training Center, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Mesa, AZ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot on a solo flight experienced a bounced landing and veered off the runway after being asked to switch runways. The aircraft struck a ditch, causing substantial damage.

Sequence of Events

A student pilot was conducting a solo flight and was on an extended final approach for runway 22L, intending to perform a full stop landing. During the approach, the air traffic control tower requested that the pilot change to runway 22R. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft for the new runway and was subsequently cleared to land.

On short final, the pilot extended the flaps to 40 degrees. The pilot later noted that the flaps should have been extended earlier due to excessive airspeed. The aircraft passed over the runway numbers at an indicated airspeed of approximately 75 knots. The pilot then closed the throttle, and the airplane floated for an extended period.

Upon touchdown, the main landing gear contacted the runway surface, and the airplane bounced. The pilot maintained the pitch attitude, and the airplane touched down again. Immediately after the second touchdown, the right wing lifted upward, causing the airplane to veer to the left. The pilot applied brakes and right rudder, but the airplane departed the runway to the left.

The aircraft subsequently collided with a ditch, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear and substantial damage to the firewall.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained