Cessna E162 N6035S

Summary

On 21 September 2014 at about 21:38 local time, a Cessna E162 registered N6035S, operated by Rainier Flight Service LLC, was involved in an accident near Bellingham, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 September 2014 at 21:38

Classification

Accident

Location

Bellingham, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Bellingham Intl (KBLI)

Coordinates

48.7928, -122.5375

Aircraft

Cessna E162

Registration

N6035S

Category

Airplane

Year built

2011

Engines

1

Operator

Rainier Flight Service LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Renton → Bellingham

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14CA386

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate flare and failure to maintain aircraft control during landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot planned to conduct a solo cross-country flight to another towered airport. His preflight inspection, engine start and runup, takeoff, and flight of the special light-sport airplane were all uneventful. When he neared the destination airport, he was instructed to enter the traffic pattern on the downwind leg for runway 16. He was subsequently cleared for "closed traffic" pattern work, and instructed to follow another airplane. The pilot informed the air traffic controller that he intended to do a full stop landing, and shortly thereafter, was instructed to turn base leg. He selected full flaps (40 degrees) for landing after turning final. According to the pilot, the wind was from 180 degrees at 7 knots, and the airplane was "just a little" to the right of the centerline for part of the last segment of the final approach. The pilot flared for landing, and the airplane touched down on the main gear, but then "ballooned" back airborne. The airplane bounced again, and then on the third bounce, the nose landing gear failed. The airplane slid to a stop on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage structure. During the bounce sequence, the pilot only used the control wheel to attempt to control and stop the bounces; he did not vary the throttle setting. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.