Cessna 172 N144ME

Summary

On 13 April 2009 at about 20:50 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N144ME, operated by Av-Ed Flight School, was involved in an accident near York, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 April 2009 at 20:50

Classification

Accident

Location

York, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

York Airport (THV)

Coordinates

39.9169, -76.8731

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N144ME

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Av-Ed Flight School

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Leesburg → York

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09CA404

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the student pilot, the first landing attempt of the solo cross country flight resulted in a go-around. During his second attempt, the student pilot landed the airplane about one-third of the way down the 5,188-foot runway, "hard but smooth (not a bounce);" however, the airplane subsequently became airborne. The student pilot landed the airplane once more, and although he believed the “plane had safely and completely landed,” it became airborne yet again. At that point, the student pilot felt a go-around was not possible, and "pulled back" on the flight controls. The airplane then "probably stalled and dropped to the runway," the nose landing gear collapsed, and damage to the engine firewall and left wing resulted. Winds at the time were variable at 4 knots. No preaccident mechanical anomalies were noted by the student pilot.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.