Cessna 140 N2509N accident near Winterville, North Carolina

Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing. A factor in the accident was the instructor’s delayed remedial action which resulted in an inability to recover the airplane from an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

According to the flight instructor, the student pilot was high on the approach but he allowed her to continue as he determined the landing was achievable based on visual references and cues. The student performed the landing flare, the airplane “hit hard and bounced quite high,” and the airplane pitched nose up to about a 45-degree angle. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane, pushed the nose downward and applied full engine power to recover from the “imminent stall.” The flight instructor explained that the airplane lacked the power, airspeed, and altitude to outclimb the trees to its front and continued to fly the airplane “right at stall speed” until it settled into an area of small trees and heavy brush beyond the departure end of the landing runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage and wings, and minor injuries to the occupants.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22LA432 for the full record.