Summary
On February 26, 2011, a Liberty Aerospace Incorporated LIBERTY XL-2 (N646XL) was involved in an incident near Burlington, NC. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
According to the student pilot, he was attempting a second touch and go landing to runway 6 at a cross country airport. As he turned the airplane on to final approach, another airplane was crossing the runway threshold for a full stop landing. The student pilot continued the approach, but slowed the airplane due to "excess" airspeed during the first landing, and to give the other airplane time to clear the runway. After crossing the runway threshold, the student pilot reduced the power to idle and began a flare. The main landing gear touched down harder than he anticipated, and the airplane "must have bounced." When the nose landing gear touched down, it broke away from the airplane and the propeller struck the runway.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA11CA169. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N646XL.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
According to the student pilot, he was attempting a second touch and go landing to runway 6 at a cross country airport. As he turned the airplane on to final approach, another airplane was crossing the runway threshold for a full stop landing. The student pilot continued the approach, but slowed the airplane due to "excess" airspeed during the first landing, and to give the other airplane time to clear the runway. After crossing the runway threshold, the student pilot reduced the power to idle and began a flare. The main landing gear touched down harder than he anticipated, and the airplane "must have bounced." When the nose landing gear touched down, it broke away from the airplane and the propeller struck the runway. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the engine firewall. The student pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane, and winds recorded at the airport 9 minutes earlier were from 120 degrees true at 4 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA11CA169