No fatalities

Student Pilot Involved in Go-Around Mishap During Landing

Charlotte, NC, United States

On May 9, 2019, a PIPER PA28 180 operated by Alpha One Air Service, LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Charlotte, NC. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's improper attempted go-around and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall followed by a hard landing, runway excursion, and impact with vegetation. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During a landing attempt, a student pilot initiated a go-around but experienced a stall warning, a hard touchdown, and a left veer into vegetation, resulting in substantial wing damage.

Event

A student pilot was performing a landing on a 40-foot-wide runway when a wind gust pushed the airplane to the left. While correcting back to the centerline, the flight instructor noted that the airspeed was low, so the student added power. On short final, the instructor directed the student to initiate a go-around and to apply full power. The student started a climb but then heard the stall warning horn. The instructor instructed the student to lower the nose. As the student lowered the nose, he felt a hard bump as the airplane made contact with the runway. The airplane then veered left, struck vegetation, and spun around.

Aircraft and Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Information

The automated weather observation station located about 11 miles north of the accident site reported that, about 10 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 190° at 9 knots. The student pilot was landing on runway 17.

Contributing factors

Causes

Student/instructed pilotInstructor/check pilotAngle of attack — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation