Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: None. Location: Red Oak, Iowa. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The student pilot was on the third leg of a VFR solo cross-country flight. He was on approach to an airport where he planned to do a touch and go, then return to his initial departure airport.
During his first and second approaches for the touch and go he executed go-arounds due to what he described as turbulence when the airplane came into ground effect.
During the third approach, the airplane touched down to the left of centerline and began to skid to the left.
The student pilot stated that he applied the wrong rudder correction and the airplane went off the runway.
He added power and tried to abort the landing but the airplane stalled and came down hard on the left wing, then came to rest in a bean field adjacent to the runway.
The student pilot had a total of 25 flight hours in the airplane, with 4.2 hours as pilot-in-command (solo). The wind was calm at the time of the accident.
Probable cause: The loss of control while landing due to the student pilot’s delay to execute a go-around and his improper control inputs during a bounced landing.
NTSB Identification: CEN13CA087
This November 2012 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.
I was the first official passenger of a close friend who recently qualified for his PPL. On the first approach to landing he was high and hot. He flared a good 15-20 ft. agl. Correction, he didn’t flare so much as he yanked the yoke back and the plane began an insidious porpoising until we eventually “flopped” onto the runway. “Crap”, he said, “that wasn’t one of my best”. He pushed the throttle forward and we were off for another go.
On the second attempt to land I could see the same scenario developing; clearly he was afraid the earth would reach up and smite us. When he yanked the yoke back again, I suggest he add some power to arrest the decent and fly the plane onto the runway. He did with great success, though he used up half of it.
He now has over 200 hours and he still approaches high and hot. He wants to start IFR training and I’m hoping that will get him to fly a better precision approach.
I’m surprised he was cleared for the test, and more surprised he passed with such sloppy landing skills.
But, what do I know….
Tom’s question is well taken. If the student pilot was on his solo long cross-country required flight, he was supposed to make full stop landings at each of the three airports; that was the protocol for the Private Pilot Certificate many years ago when I learned to fly. Cutting corners, literally, is not good judgement nor good airmanship.
Really amazing. Pilot said “turbulence” but the facts showed that the wind was “calm” at the airport. Aircraft drifted but pilot said that the wrong rudder was used when it’s the “stick” that keeps the airplane from drifting not the rudders. How could this guy have been released for solo with no knowledge of the correct use of the controls and inability to handle a no wind condition?