Wickenburg, AZ, USA
N425PA
Piper PA28
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.
The student pilot reported that, on his second approach, he encountered "bumpy" air and the aircraft ballooned. He corrected by adding power, leveling the wings and continuing the landing. Just prior to touching down, the right wing raised, and the airplane drifted to the left. He applied power to go-around, the stall warning activated but the airplane continued to drift left. Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and collided with the ground. Per the photos provided by the Federal Aviation Administration that the airplane also impacted an airport taxi way sign during the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The student pilot 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 automated weather reporting station located at the airport, reported that the wind was from 270° at 6 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 23.
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.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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