PIPER PA-28-235C
Omaha, NE — March 31, 2020
Event Information
| Date | March 31, 2020 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CEN20CA137 |
| Event ID | 20200406X15406 |
| Location | Omaha, NE |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 41.19861, -96.11472 |
| Airport | Millard |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | PIPER |
| Model | PA-28-235C |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, subsequent loss of directional control, and the airplane going down an embankment.
Full Narrative
The pilot was returning from his third solo cross country flight. He made a stop-and-go and a touch-and-go landing at another airport, then returned to his home base and landed on runway 12. The wind was from 180° at 6 knots with variable gusts. The airplane touched down and bounced. The right wing dropped and the right main landing gear touched down, followed by the nose landing gear. The airplane turned hard to the left but the airplane was too close to the runway edge to turn and remain on the runway so the pilot applied maximum braking and raised the nose to try and slow the airplane down. The airplane went down an 8 to 10 ft embankment at an angle. At the bottom of the embankment the left wing struck the ground and it separated from the fuselage, and the nose landing gear bent aft which bent the engine mounts and buckled the firewall. There were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.