NTSB CEN24LA131 — 2024-03-05 · Lubbock, Texas, United States

Current FAA registration · N603LH

Make / Model: PIPER PA-28-140
Year of manufacture: 1964 · 60 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19640323
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A7D366

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N603LH Piper PA-28-140 None

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a touch-and-go.

Factual narrative

After the student pilot completed three successful takeoff and landings with his instructor, he began his initial solo flight. The first takeoff and landing were uneventful. Following the second approach, the student pilot made a successful landing and initiated a touch-and-go by advancing the throttle to maximum power. The student pilot noted that once the airplane reached rotation speed and he added aft control pressure, the nose wheel began to lift and bounce during rotation. The airplane veered left and exited the left side of the runway. The right wing impacted the runway which resulted in substantial damage. The airplane came to rest upright in the grass adjacent to the runway. The student pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_CEN24LA131.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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