Event LAX97LA318

Factual narrative

On September 8, 1997, at 1030 hours mountain standard time, a Beech A23A, N2339W, bounced into the air and subsequently drug the left wing on the runway after an unsuccessful go-around attempt at La Cholla Airpark, Tucson, Arizona. The aircraft was destroyed during the impact sequence, and the student pilot was not injured. The flight originated at La Cholla Airpark at an undetermined time. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was the first solo cross-country flight for the student pilot. The intended route of flight was La Cholla, Bisbee, Wilcox, and then back to La Cholla. The student pilot was interviewed by an FAA Operations Inspector on September 10, 1997. The inspector stated that the pilot reported that the stall warning horn came on before he touched down on the runway. The student pilot said he touched down about 30 feet past the "numbers" on the runway. After landing, the airplane bounced into the air about 10 feet. The student pilot said he realized that the aircraft was too slow and added full power to execute a go-around. He estimated that he was approximately 10 to 20 feet in the air when the stall warning horn went off again. The aircraft banked to the left and descended with the left wing hitting the ground first. The airplane went off the left side of runway 19. The student pilot said he did not believe that there were any mechanical malfunctions that may have contributed to the accident. The student pilot was returning to the originating airport from his first solo cross-country flight. He reported that the stall warning horn came on before the airplane touched down, about 30 feet past the numbers, then the plane bounced into the air about 10 feet. The student said he realized that the airplane was at too slow an airspeed, and he attempted to execute a go-around by adding full power. The airplane climbed to approximately 20 feet in the air, then the stall warning horn sounded again. The airplane then banked to the left and impacted the ground. The student said he did not believe that there were any mechanical malfunctions that may have contributed to the accident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12