No fatalities

18 Oct 2018: Piper PA28 151 — Hastings, MI

Hastings, MI, United States

On 18 Oct 2018, a Piper PA28 151 was involved in an aviation accident near Hastings, MI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in the airplane landing sideways and a subsequent runway excursion. 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 lost control during landing, causing the airplane to land sideways and exit the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.

Incident Overview

A flight instructor reported observing a solo student pilot's approach from the ground. The instructor noted that the approach appeared good, although the airplane might have been fast. As the airplane flared, the right wing "kind of pop up" just before touchdown. Subsequently, the airplane landed sideways and exited the left side of the runway.

Student Pilot's Account

The student pilot was unsure of what happened but reported that he had just lost control.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.

Mechanical Condition

The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedStudent/instructed pilotLanding flare — Not attained/maintained