The student pilot was performing touch-and-go landings at the airport in Peyton, Colorado.
During the landing roll, he intended to retract the flaps, but accidentally extended the flaps further.
While correcting the flap setting, he transferred his attention inside the cockpit and the Cessna 150 veered to the left.
He pulled the throttle back before the airplane departed the side of the runway. The airplane’s nose wheel collapsed, and the airplane came to rest in the grass resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
An examination of the airplane did not reveal any flight control anomalies.
Probable Cause: The student pilot did not maintain directional control of the airplane while landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s diverted attention to the incorrect flap setting.
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This December 2020 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.
There may be justification for touch and goes in that if you are landing and for some reason you can’t (vehicle drives onto the runway, deer or cow decides to wander on, surface unsuitable for whatever reason), a touch and go will familiarize you with the power changes, pitch changes and control inputs involved in safely rejecting a landing even after you have touched down. Remember that a significant percentage of aircraft accidents and incidents take place on takeoffs or landings, so be extra careful!
Seems most airport mishaps involve someone doing touch and goes.
Seriously, if you can’t remember how to land since the last time you flew?….probably need an instructor.
I *remember* how to play the piano, but *practicing* it is what makes the performance something I can be proud of…same with takeoffs and landings.
T&Gs were prohibited in AF fighters. When I flew them anyway. Too many things can go wrong.
Also, never do after landing check until slowed to taxi speed and clear of the runway.
I do however do stop-and-go landings when training in TW biplanes. (Waco/Great Lakes) But checklists are done after coming to a complete stop and extra long runway.
Not a fan of touch & go. Little benefit, but lots of risk. IMHO, full-stop landing, taxing back, and takeoff again is way better and worth all the extra time it takes.