What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was caught in a downdraft, struck ground, landing gear tore off, flipped over, Levelland, TX. (.4)the flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot reported that during an instructional flight, the airplane encountered a severe downdraft that it was unable to out climb, while in the traffic pattern. This occurred after the flight departed from runway 17 to practice takeoffs and landings in the traffic pattern. The CFI reported that after turning crosswind, while the engine was still operating at full takeoff power, the airplane encountered a severe downdraft, which resulted in a rate of descent that exceeded 1,000 feet per minute. The CFI turned the airplane away from high tension power lines as he maneuvered the airplane towards a plowed field to the east-southeast of the airport. The CFI reduced power before the airplane impacted the ground in a landing attitude with the flaps retracted. The operator stated that virga and dust devils were observed in all quadrants near the time of the accident. An FAA inspector also observed signs of downdrafts and virga while en route to the accident site. On a previous flight, the operator exp erienced 'strong up and downdrafts due to the highly unstable weather pattern.' The density altitude was calcualted by the investigator-in-charge to be 5,600 feet. (-23) no narrative.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS CAUGHT IN A DOWNDRAFT, STRUCK GROUND, LANDING GEAR TORE OFF, FLIPPED OVER, LEVELLAND, TX. (.4)THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT THAT IT WAS UNABLE TO OUT CLIMB, WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THIS OCCURRED AFTER THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 17 TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE CFI REPORTED THAT AFTER TURNING CROSSWIND, WHILE THE ENGINE WAS STILL OPERATING AT FULL TAKEOFF POWER, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN A RATE OF DESCENT THAT EXCEEDED 1,000 FEET PER MINUTE. THE CFI TURNED THE AIRPLANE AWAY FROM HIGH TENSION POWER LINES AS HE MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE TOWARDS A PLOWED FIELD TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE CFI REDUCED POWER BEFORE THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LANDING ATTITUDE WITH THE FLAPS RETRACTED. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT VIRGA AND DUST DEVILS WERE OBSERVED IN ALL QUADRANTS NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AN FAA INSPECTOR ALSO OBSERVED SIGNS OF DOWNDRAFTS AND VIRGA WHILE EN ROUTE TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. ON A PREVIOUS FLIGHT, THE OPERATOR EXP ERIENCED 'STRONG UP AND DOWNDRAFTS DUE TO THE HIGHLY UNSTABLE WEATHER PATTERN.' THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCUALTED BY THE INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE TO BE 5,600 FEET. (-23) NO NARRATIVE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.