Liberty Aerospace Incorporated LIBERTY XL-2 accident near Burlington, North Carolina, February 26, 2011
On February 26, 2011 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Liberty Aerospace Incorporated LIBERTY XL-2, registered N646XL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Burlington, North Carolina (Burlington-Alamance airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 2011 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Burlington, North Carolina · Burlington-Alamance · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Liberty Aerospace Incorporated LIBERTY XL-2 · all LIBERTY XL-2s on the register
- Registration
- N646XL · no longer on the register · serial 0116
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, he was attempting a second touch-and-go landing and takeoff. As he turned the airplane on to final approach, another airplane was crossing the runway threshold for a full stop landing. The pilot continued the approach, but slowed the airplane due to excess airspeed during the first landing, and to give the other airplane time to clear the runway. After crossing the runway threshold, he reduced the power to idle and began to flare. The main landing gear touched down harder than he anticipated, and the pilot said the airplane must have bounced. When the nose landing gear touched down, it broke away from the airplane and the propeller struck the runway. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 26 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 468 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 11, 2011; 15 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-240-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GSO Greensboro NC at 2:40 pm
- Destination: BUY Burlington NC
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 06, 4,999 ft by 99 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from BUY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA11CA169.