Primary finding
Probable cause
the student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in at hard landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot planned to practice takeoffs and landings to build his solo flight time. He stated that 'The takeoff and pattern work seemed very good. The final was on track and the glideslope looked correct. I held about 60 [to] 65 knots over the runway numbers 35. I became slow and flared too high. The plane stalled over the runway and came down a little too hard.' The student also stated, 'I should have did a go-around instead of flaring so high off the ground.' During touchdown, the nose and left main gear collapsed, and the propeller was damaged. The student reported that the wind was calm, and there was no mechanical malfunction of the airplane.
Source record
Factual narrative
On September 1, 1996, about 1215 eastern daylight time, a Beech 19, N2009A, was substantially damaged when the landing gear collapsed during a hard landing, at Augusta State Airport, Augusta, Maine. The student pilot, sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight. No flight plan had been filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated: "I was going to be practicing my takeoffs and landings. I was in the process of building my solo time. The active runway was 35 and the winds were very calm. The takeoff and pattern work seemed very good. The final was on track and the glideslope looked correct. I held about 60 [to] 65 knots over the runway numbers 35. I became slow and flared too high. The plane stalled over the runway and came down a little too hard. . . .I should have did a go-around instead of flaring so high off the ground." The pilot had a total flight time of 25 hours, of which, 1 hour was solo. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunctions with the airplane, nor did the pilot report any. -