On the day of the accident, the student pilot performed three takeoffs and landings with his flight instructor before he was cleared by the instructor for solo pattern flight at the airport in Old Bridge, New Jersey.
A video recording showed that during his second solo landing, the Cessna 172 bounced, and then began a go-around.
During the go-around the plane pitched up sharply, stalled, turned toward the left, and descended to the ground.
The airplane hit the left side of the runway, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing and forward fuselage. A post-impact fire ensued. The student pilot sustained minor injuries in the crash.
The flight instructor reported that there were no pre-accident anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The student pilot’s loss of control during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This November 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Many years ago in a C-152, my first solo t/g was a learning experience. Forgot to retract full flaps before full power. Much strength needed to counteract the nose up surprise.
Training regarding stalls (power off and on) and go around technique is crucial, particularly awareness of altitude loss and critical airspeed in a recovery.
Thankfully this student will have the opportunity to refine those techniques. The big loss of the day was not a life or major injury but the loss of an increasingly scarce resource ( a “legacy” C172P Skyhawk ll)
it shouldn’t have been the first time he/she did that no?
The first time a pilot performs a go around, there is a big surprise at what happens when full power is applied quickly.
But the first SEVERAL times a pilot does a go-around is with an instructor, not on his first solo.