No fatalities

26 Feb 2011: LIBERTY AEROSPACE INCORPORATED LIBERTY XL-2 — TAA Flight Training — Burlington, NC

Burlington, NC, United States

On 26 Feb 2011, a LIBERTY AEROSPACE INCORPORATED LIBERTY XL-2 operated by TAA Flight Training was involved in an aviation accident near Burlington, NC. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 10 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a touch and go landing, a student pilot's aircraft bounced on touchdown, causing the nose landing gear to break away and the propeller to strike the runway. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall.

Incident Details

A student pilot was attempting a second touch and go landing to runway 6 at a cross country airport. While turning onto final approach, another airplane was crossing the runway threshold for a full stop landing. The student pilot continued the approach, but reduced speed due to "excess" airspeed experienced during the first landing and to allow the other airplane time to clear the runway.

After crossing the runway threshold, the student pilot reduced the engine power to idle and initiated a flare. The main landing gear made contact with the runway harder than anticipated, causing the airplane to bounce. When the nose landing gear subsequently touched down, it broke away from the airplane, and the propeller struck the runway surface.

Aircraft Damage

According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the engine firewall. No preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane were reported by the student pilot.

Meteorological Conditions

Winds recorded at the airport 9 minutes prior to the incident were from 120 degrees true at 4 knots.

Contributing factors

Incorrect use/operationStudent pilot