NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CEN11CA503
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The student pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Factual narrative
The private rated pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI) had practiced take-off and landings for approximately an hour. After a break, the take-off and landing practice resumed. The private pilot reported that as they approached the runway for a landing, the airplane was properly trimmed for the approach; however, the airplane touched down before they expected it to. The airplane impacted a tire used to mark the end of the runway; the airplane then bounced and yawed right. The private pilot and CFI were unable to regain control of the airplane before it exited the runway and collided with nearby trees. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical anomalies with the airplane and said he should have selected a touchdown point further down the runway which would have allowed more room for error. Examination of the airplane revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to fuselage, wings, and tail section during the accident. The certified flight instructor and his student were practicing takeoffs and landings for approximately an hour. After taking a break, they continued the practice session. The pilot said that the airplane was configured properly for the landing; however, he failed to attain the proper touchdown point, and the airplane impacted a tire used to mark the approach end of the runway. The airplane bounced, yawed right, exited the runway, and collided with nearby trees. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and tail section. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane and said he should have selected a touchdown point further down the runway which would have allowed more room for error. 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 Personnel issues-Task performance-(general)-(general)-Pilot - C
- F Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot - F
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2011_CEN11CA503.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (icing). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM)
A preliminary study of a wake vortex encounter hazard boundary for a B737-100 airplane
A preliminary batch simulation study was conducted to define the wake decay required for a Boeing 737-100 airplane to safely encounter a Boeing 727 wake and land.
- NASA NTRS 2018 · Other
A Numerical Simulation Study to Develop an Acceptable Wake Encounter Boundary for a B737-100 Airplane
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is conducting research with the goal of enabling safe improvements in the capacity of the nation's air transportation system.
- NASA NTRS 2011 · Other
A unified cleaning facility in a Class 100 clean room
Downdraft clean room for cleaning and potting of mechanical and electrical components and various plastics systems
- arXiv 2022 · arXiv preprint
Supercooled Droplet Icing and Self-Jumping on Micro/nanostructured Surfaces: Role of Vaporization Momentum
Phase change under reduced environmental pressures is key to understanding liquid discharge and propulsion processes for aerospace applications.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
A study of carburetor/induction system icing in general aviation accidents
An assessment of the frequency and severity of carburetor/induction icing in general-aviation accidents was performed. The available literature and accident data from the National Transportation Safet…
- NASA NTRS 2026 · Contractor Report (CR)
Icing Physics Studies Using the 3D SIDRM Test Article: 2023 Icing Tests Analysis
In-flight icing is an important safety issue and is a factor that affects aircraft design and performance. Newer regulations are driving a need for improvements in airframe and engine icing simulation…
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