No fatalities

1 Feb 2016: CESSNA 150 F — Ronald O. Holcomb, LLC. — Lapeer, MI

Lapeer, MI, United States

On 1 Feb 2016, a CESSNA 150 F operated by Ronald O. Holcomb, LLC. was involved in an aviation accident near Lapeer, MI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's failure to achieve an adequate climb rate while turning to avoid obstacles during an aborted landing, resulting in an uncontrolled descent, collision with terrain, and a nose over. 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

A solo student pilot reported bouncing on touchdown, executing a go-around, but insufficient climb rate and airspeed led to a second touchdown on plowed soft soil, collapsing the nose wheel and nosing over.

Incident Details

According to the airplane owner, the solo student pilot reported that the airplane bounced upon touchdown during a landing attempt. The pilot then executed a go-around. However, the pilot determined that the climb out rate was insufficient to clear a tree line, and the airspeed and altitude were too low to allow a safe course adjustment to avoid the trees. Subsequently, the airplane touched down on a field with plowed soft soil. Upon touchdown, the nose wheel collapsed, and the airplane nosed over.

Aircraft Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. Specifically, the right wing, vertical stabilizer, and rudder were damaged. The owner did not report any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Pilot Report

The owner reported that the solo student pilot provided the account of the events. The pilot described the initial bounce, the decision to go around, and the subsequent insufficient climb performance relative to the tree line. The pilot also noted the soft soil conditions at the second touchdown point.

Contributing factors

Student/instructed pilotClimb rate — Not attained/maintained