Piper PA28 N284MK accident near Mankato, Minnesota

Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and subsequent go-around during which the student exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane bounced hard. She added power to go around, and as the airplane became airborne, it began to drift to the left. The airplane aerodynamically stalled, impacted terrain, and collided with a golf cart adjacent to the runway, which was occupied by the student pilot's flight instructor.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing.

The chief pilot of the flight school reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 4 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 080° at 6 knots. The airplane landed on runway 33.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA18CA092 for the full record.