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GAA19CA247

2019-05-06 · Auburn, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport AUN

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's improper retraction of the flaps during a go-around and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

Factual narrative

The solo student pilot reported that, he simulated a power-off emergency landing with a 180º turn to the runway and trimmed the elevator "fully nose up" and added full flaps. Prior to touchdown, the airplane drifted right of centerline and he had "difficulty correcting and maintaining control" of the airplane so he initiated a go around. Subsequently, the student "retracted flaps entirely" and the airplane "fell [about 10 ft] to the ground," the nose wheel impacted the terrain and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 220° at 6 knots. The student was landing the airplane on runway 25. The solo student pilot reported that he simulated a power-off emergency landing with a 180º turn to the runway and then trimmed the elevator "fully nose up" and added full flaps. Before touchdown, the airplane drifted right of centerline, and he had "difficulty correcting and maintaining control" of the airplane, so he initiated a go-around. The student added that, subsequently, he "retracted [the] flaps entirely," and the airplane "fell [about 10 ft] to the ground," the nosewheel impacted terrain, and the airplane then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Configuration-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-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_2019_GAA19CA247.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall, go-around). All research papers