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WPR23LA238

2023-06-16 · Mesa, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport FFZ

Current FAA registration · N28034

Make / Model
PIPER PA-28-181
Year of manufacture
2020 · 3 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-B4A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20200617
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2D0D9

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

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

Factual narrative

The flight school reported that the student pilot was conducting his second solo flight. In the landing flare the student pilot floated and began porpoising; hitting the nose wheel several times and striking the prop on the runway. The nosewheel collapsed sustaining substantial damage to the engine mount. There were no preaccident malfunctions or failures 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.

  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Total experience-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR23LA238.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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