Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary NYC03LA158

Gaithersburg, MD, USA

Aircraft #1

N49400

Cessna 152

Analysis

During the flight the student pilot performed three successful landings to runway 32, a 4,201-foot-long, 75-foot-wide runway. She then intended to perform a full-stop landing; however, during the touchdown, the airplane bounced twice. The student pilot then aborted the landing by adding full power and retracting the flaps. She "lost control of the airplane" during the climb, veered left of the runway centerline, and impacted trees. The student pilot stated that there were no wind gusts, and she experienced no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Factual Information

On July 14, 2003, at 0930 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N49400, was substantially damaged during an aborted landing at Montgomery County Airpark (GAI), Gaithersburg, Maryland. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the student pilot, the accident flight was her second solo flight. During the flight, she performed three successful landings to runway 32, a 4,201-foot-long, 75-foot-wide runway. She then intended to perform a full-stop landing; however, during the touchdown, the airplane bounced twice. The student pilot then initiated a go-around, by adding full power and retracting the flaps. She "lost control of the airplane" during the climb, veered left of the runway centerline, and impacted trees. The student pilot reported about 13 hours of total flight experience, all of which were in make and model. She stated that there were no wind gusts, and she experienced no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. Winds reported at Dulles International Airport (IAD), Dulles, Virginia, 19 miles southwest of Gaithersburg, at 0851, were from 010 degrees at 4 knots.

Probable Cause and Findings

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an aborted landing.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

Get all the details on your iPhone or iPad with:

Aviation Accidents App

In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports