Event NYC04CA091

Factual narrative

On March 24, 2004, about 0845 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N6535J, was substantially damaged while landing at the Norwood Memorial Airport (OWD), Norwood, Massachusetts. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the solo instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot was conducting her first unsupervised solo flight, and was practicing takeoffs and landings on runway 17, a 4,008-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The student pilot reported that she had completed approximately 17 landings prior to the accident; however, during the next landing attempt, her approach was high, and when the airplane contacted the runway, it landed harder, and bounced higher, than usual. The airplane began to porpoise, the propeller struck the runway, and the nose gear collapsed. The airplane then departed the right side of the runway and struck a snow bank. The student pilot stated that she did not experience any mechanical problems. She reported 49.2 hours of total flight experience, all in the make and model of the accident airplane. Winds reported at OWD, about the time of the accident, were calm. The student pilot was conducting her first unsupervised solo flight, and was practicing takeoffs and landings on a 4,008-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. She had completed approximately 17 landings prior to the accident; however, during the next landing attempt, her approach was high, and when the airplane contacted the runway, it landed harder, and bounced higher, than usual. The airplane began to porpoise, the propeller struck the runway, and the nose gear collapsed. The airplane then departed the right side of the runway and struck a snow bank. The student pilot did not experience any mechanical problems. She reported 49.2 hours of total flight experience, all in the make and model of the accident airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12