No fatalities

1 Jul 2016: CESSNA 152G — UNIVERSITY FLYING CLUB — Augusta, ME

Augusta, ME, United States

On 1 Jul 2016, a CESSNA 152G operated by UNIVERSITY FLYING CLUB was involved in an aviation accident near Augusta, ME. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to compensate for the gusting wind conditions during a short-field landing and the designated pilot examiner's delayed remedial action, which resulted in the wing tip contacting the runway during the go-around. 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 private pilot checkride, a go-around led to the left wing striking the runway, causing substantial damage to both wing spars, discovered post-flight.

Incident Summary

During a private pilot checkride, the applicant was demonstrating a short field landing. As the aircraft approached the runway, gusty wind conditions prompted the pilot to initiate a go-around. During the go-around maneuver, the left wing dropped and struck the runway surface.

Response and Subsequent Actions

The Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) immediately took control of the airplane and completed the go-around. After regaining control, the DPE returned control to the pilot, who then executed another short field landing, this time with a full stop. Following the landing, the pilot taxied the aircraft to the fixed base operator (FBO) at the airport. Both the pilot and the DPE exited the aircraft and proceeded inside the FBO to complete the checkride paperwork.

Discovery of Damage

After the DPE had finalized the paperwork, the pilot returned to the airplane with the intention of flying back to his home airport. During the preflight inspection, the pilot noticed damage to the wing. A subsequent examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that both wing spars had sustained substantial damage.

Investigation

The FAA inspector's examination confirmed that the structural integrity of the wing was compromised. No other parties or conditions were reported as contributing to the incident.

Contributing factors

PilotLateral/bank control — Not attained/maintainedInstructor/check pilotResponse/compensation