Piper PA-28-180 N5658W accident near Pekin, Illinois

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot said that he was a performing takeoffs and landings on his first solo flight when the accident occurred. He stated that he had made two or three uneventful landings prior to the accident. He said that, while floating down the runway, he was holding the airplane off the ground waiting for it to settle. He said that he did not pay sufficient attention to the airplane’s airspeed and it stalled about 10 to 15 feet above the runway. The airplane's nose dropped and the airplane impacted the ground nose first and skidded to a stop. He stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, including buckling of the fuselage and bending of both wing spars.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11CA176 for the full record.