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Atlas / NTSB / CEN10CA356

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CEN10CA356

2010-06-27 Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States Airport · FCM None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N9253S

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

BEECH C23

Year of manufacture

1975 · 35 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

4 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19751009

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S ACD38F

Registrant of record

BUTTRAM DAVID W

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot’s loss of airplane control while landing with gusting wind.

Factual narrative

The student pilot and his certified flight instructor performed three takeoff and landings at the accident airport in preparation for the student pilot's second solo flight. During these three takeoff and landings, the winds were from the northwest at 8 to 11 knots with no wind gusts. After approximately 0.7 hours of flight time, the certified flight instructor exited the airplane, and the student pilot taxied to runway 28L for takeoff. About the time of departure, the winds began to gust to 17 knots. The student pilot stated that during the landing flare on runway 28L, he experienced a "downwash" and the airplane "ballooned and turned to the right." The student pilot added "some power" and applied rudder, but the nose wheel hit the runway and the airplane veered off the runway. The certified flight instructor placed a maximum wind limitation of 15 knots on the student pilot's initial solo endorsement. The student pilot and his certified flight instructor performed three takeoff and landings at the accident airport in preparation for the student pilot's second solo flight. During the takeoff and landings, the wind was from the northwest at 8 to 11 knots with no wind gusts. After approximately 0.7 hours of flight time, the certified flight instructor exited the airplane and the student pilot taxied to the runway for takeoff. About the time of departure, the wind began to gust to 17 knots. The student pilot stated that during the landing flare, he experienced a downwash and that the airplane ballooned and turned to the right. He added power and applied rudder, but the nosewheel hit the runway and the airplane veered off the runway. The certified flight instructor placed a maximum wind limitation of 15 knots on the student pilot's initial solo endorsement. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_CEN10CA356.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.