No fatalities

8 Sep 2014: PIPER PA 28-140 — Belen, NM

Belen, NM, United States

On 8 Sep 2014, a PIPER PA 28-140 was involved in an aviation accident near Belen, NM. 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; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a student pilot's second solo landing, the airplane landed hard, bounced twice, and a go-around was attempted. The airplane then entered a steep nose-up attitude, stalled, and impacted a hangar, resulting in substantial damage.

Accident Sequence

During a student pilot's second solo landing, the airplane landed hard and bounced twice. A flight instructor, standing on the side of the runway, radioed instructions to execute a go-around. The student pilot then applied full power, applied right rudder, and retracted one notch of flaps. The flight instructor observed that the airplane was in a steep nose-up, stalling pitch attitude. He radioed instructions to "pitch down, pitch down." With the airplane very low to the ground and drifting left, the student pilot radioed back, asking the flight instructor to "say again." Control was subsequently lost, and the airplane impacted a hangar approximately 650 feet to the left of the runway centerline.

Damage

The impact resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, tail surfaces, and both wings, which were completely separated as the airplane penetrated the hangar wall. The fuselage came to rest inside the closed hangar. There was no post-impact fire.

Pilot Report

The student pilot reported that the attempted go-around was performed with too much pitch, too little speed, and insufficient rudder input. He also stated that the accident would not have happened if he had spent more of his attention "flying the plane" and less attention communicating on the radio during a critical phase of flight. Additionally, the student pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Incorrect use/operationAngle of attack — Not attained/maintainedStudent/instructed pilot