Aircraft: Aero AT-4. Injuries: None. Location: San Diego, Colo. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land. When the airplane was about 3 feet above the ground, the airplane stalled, touched down hard and bounced. The pilot applied power to abort the landing but the LSA pulled to the left.
The airplane bounced a second time, and an air traffic controller told the pilot to go-around. The pilot lost control, the airplane yawed further to the left, and the left wing hit the ground.
Probable cause: The pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain control during an attempted go-around.
NTSB Identification: WPR11CA445
This September 2011 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
an aircraft is an aircraft, let’s stop any misconception, learn to fly, stay focussed, landing is where you earn your money.
I cannot speak for MEG, but I for one feel that LSA’s are in fact too fragile to stand up to the normal day to day stresses of flight training, there has to be a better answer.
How many non-LSA’s could drag a wing on the ground on a go-around attempt without any damage??
That would have to depend on the skill level of the aviator in charge.
@ John -“Feelings” are good. Facts are better.
@ Phil – How many? Personally, if I drag a wing on the ground the last thing on my mind is to take off again.
Wouldn’t it be just as easy to say, “It’s a good thing this was an LSA. A heavier aircraft might have busted the landing gear?” (Just as unsubstantiated too!)
When I lived there, San Diego was in California 🙂
If this had been a Cessna 152, do you think the headline would use the word “Bends”?
The headline suggests that an LSA tends to “bend” when it gets a “bad” bounce on landing.
“Bad Bounce During Landing Damages Aircraft” would have been just as good. Besides, it was not the “bad” bounce that damaged the aircraft, it was a the sequence of loss of control that happened after the bounce.
Meg, do you have something against LSA’s? Do you think all LSA’s are fragile? I do think you are painting a broad category with a broad brush. Maybe you did not intend to do that, but it does play into many other articles I have read about how LSA’s are not sturdy or up to the punishment of a Flight School. Is there some old timer media bias here?
This year I few a Tecnam Echo Classic Light from Richmond, VA to Oshkosh this year. Made about 12 landings on that trip (only had 12 gallons fuel). Several landings were on windy days and I am more accustom to flying larger, heavy twins and single engines. Let’s just say, I am glad the plane was up to the punishment and no one had video of some of these landings. I did drop once (2-3′) and it definitely got my adrenaline flowing. But, I must tell you that that plane, the lightest of the Tecnam line, was a real performer. The landing gear could not be any simpler or stronger. You do have to be on your toes when the wind is gusting.
Calm down, Barry. She employs alliteration when composing the titles for these articles.
Unintended consequences are still consequences.