N278BA

On May 22, 2011, a Let L 33 SOLO (N278BA) was involved in an incident near Sparks, NV. 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 pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

The pilot reported that after an uneventful cross-country flight, he returned to the airport to land with a 5 to 7 knot headwind down the runway. A witness stated to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that during the landing flare, at a height of approximately 5 feet, the pilot appeared to be at "a very high angle of attack". Subsequently, the airplane appeared to stall and land hard on the runway, substantially damaging both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal flight.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR11CA231. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N278BA.