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GAA18CA554

2018-08-25 · Lake Wales, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport X07

Current FAA registration · N4557C

Make / Model
AIRBORNE EDGE X CLASSIC
Year of manufacture
2009 · 9 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX 582SER (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20090714
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A587FF

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

Factual narrative

The solo student pilot in the weight-shift-control aircraft, reported that he remained in the pattern and was performing full stop landings. During landing he flared too late, and the aircraft struck the runway hard. The aircraft sustained substantial to the center-frame bar and the left wing tubes. The student reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation. The solo student pilot in the weight-shift-control aircraft reported that he remained in the pattern and was performing full-stop landings. He flared the aircraft too late, and it struck the runway hard. The aircraft sustained substantial to the center-frame bar and the left wing tubes. The student reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, 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/instructed pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2018_GAA18CA554.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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