# Accident 19970917027029A: Piper PA38112, Indianapolis, IN, September 17, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 17, 1997, 18:50 local time
- Place: Indianapolis, IN
- Airport: Greenwood Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.5906° N, 85.5697° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5906&lon=-85.5697&mi=10
- Aircraft: N43DR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N43DR-1997-12-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-38-112 (registry code 7103812, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA38112
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 19 total, 19 in this make and model, 19 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA295](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA295) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970917027029A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LANDED SHORT RNA ONTO RUNWAY. STRUCK RUNWAY LIGHT. (.4)THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, SHE ADDED A SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS. SHE THEN REDUCED POWER AS SHE FELT HER ALTITUDE WAS TOO HIGH. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, SHE INITIATED A GO-AROUND AS SHE FELT HER ALTITUDE WAS TOO LOW. DURING THE GO-AROUND, SHE DECREASED THE FLAP SETTING TO ZERO. A WITNESS, HER FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, REPORTED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE THEN PITCHED UP, AND THE LEFT WING DROPPED. THE AIRPLANE TURNED 90 TO 120 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AS THE MAIN GEAR CONTACTED THE TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE THEN SLID SIDEWAYS AND CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE STUDENT PILOT'S FIRST SOLO FLIGHT.            (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #CHI97LA295

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97LA295](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA295), Sep 17, 1997: Piper PA-38-112 (N43DR), Greenwood, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: the student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the go-around, which resulted in an inadvertant stall. A factor related to the accident was the raising of flaps.

## Other reports on N43DR (3)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19880508015219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880508015219A), May 8, 1988: Piper PA38112 (N43DR), Indianapolis, IN, Substantial damage. Student made hard landing. Right main gear collapsed due to attach bolt failure from overstress and metal fatigue.
- [Accident 19840819041729A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19840819041729A), Aug 19, 1984: Piper PA38112 (N43DR), Cheyenne, WY, Substantial damage. Right wing struck a construction barier taxiing to park. Was off taxiway line. Lineman assisting failed to notice.
- [Incident 19830310013719I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830310013719I), Mar 10, 1983: Piper PA38112 (N43DR), Cheyenne, WY, Minor damage. Student on first solo tried to avoid ice chunk on taxiway. Wing tip hit a snowbank.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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