Piper PA28 N425PA

Summary

On 17 April 2019 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N425PA, operated by AeroGuard Flight Training Center, was involved in an accident near Wickenburg, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 April 2019 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wickenburg, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Wickenburg Muni (E25)

Coordinates

33.9706, -112.7950

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N425PA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2001

Engines

1

Operator

AeroGuard Flight Training Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gila Bend → Wickenburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA212

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain lateral control during landing and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the subsequent aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported that, on his second approach, he encountered "bumpy" air, and the airplane ballooned. He corrected by adding power, leveling the wings, and continuing the landing. Just before touchdown, the right wing lifted, and the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline. He applied power to go around, but the stall warning activated, and the airplane continued to drift left. Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and collided with the ground and an airport taxiway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The student reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. About the time of the accident, the airport's automated weather reporting station reported that the wind was from 270° at 6 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 23.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.