| Crash location | 28.342500°N, 80.688889°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Merritt Island, FL
28.539165°N, 80.671996°W 13.6 miles away |
| Tail number | N610FT |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 11 May 2018 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA28 |
| Additional details: | None |
The student pilot reported that, during a solo flight, while landing, she encountered a gust of wind that "tilted" the airplane to the right. She attempted to maintain centerline, but the left main landing gear touched down hard. She then taxied to park without further incident.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar.
The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The automated weather observation system located about 8 miles to the southeast of the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 3 knots. The student pilot landed on runway 11.
The student pilot’s improper landing flare in tailwind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.