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LAX92LA140

1992-03-09 · SANTA MONICA, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SMO

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S MISJUDGED LANDING FLARE AND HER IMPROPER BOUNCED LANDING RECOVERY TECHNIQUE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE AIRPLANE'S EXCESSIVE APPROACH AIRSPEED AND THE STUDENT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE.

Factual narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PERFORMING HER SECOND SUPERVISED SOLO INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE STUDENT REPORTED THAT SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE THIRD OF THREE LANDINGS. SHE INDICATED THAT ALTHOUGH HER LANDING APPROACH HAD BEEN 'STABILIZED' THE AIRSPEED WAS 'EXCESSIVE,' AND UPON TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED. THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WHO OBSERVED THE MISHAP, REPORTED THAT A 'SEVERE PORPOISE ACTION' COMMENCED DURING THE LANDING. THE FIREWALL WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_LAX92LA140.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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