Cessna 152 N6238P accident near Carbondale, Illinois

Probable cause

The student pilot's relinquishing of the flight controls during the landing flare and the flight instructor's delay in taking remedial action.

NTSB analysis

The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student pilot had failed the Private Pilot check ride the previous week and that the accident flight was a flight review for the student. The student pilot performed a go-around on the first landing attempt because the airplane was too high on the final landing approach. On the final leg during the second approach, the airplane was on the proper glideslope and at the appropriate airspeed. The airplane was left of centerline and about 5 feet above the runway when the student pilot initiated the flare. The CFI reported that the student pilot suddenly relinquished the flight controls without warning, and the CFI attempted to salvage the landing. The student pilot reported that he relinquished the controls to the CFI and stated, “Your controls.” The right wing tip contacted the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to two ribs in the outboard section of the wing. The CFI did not recognize that the wing tip struck the runway, so the flight returned to the departure airport. The damage to the wing was discovered during the postflight inspection of the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11CA344 for the full record.