19981219041909A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-250 · St Petersburg-C, FL · December 19, 1998

Date
December 19, 1998 · 17:14 local
Place
St Petersburg-C, FL
Airport
St Petersburg-Clearwater International
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5836P
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA99LA052
Reported as
Piper PA24250
Reported engine
Lycoming O540A1A5
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,090 total10 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19)On December 19, 1998, about 1714 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-24, N5836P, reistered to cross winds aviation, inc., experienced an in-flight loss of control during takeoff from the st. Petersburg-Clearwater international airport, Clearwater, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot, and two passengers were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the occurrence. The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to practice takeoffs and landings, with a CFI seated in the right front seat. During the first takeoff while performing a soft field takeoff, the airplane became airborne then began veering to the right. He attempted to correct, but subsequently determined that the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane then impacted the ground and the airplane came to rest on grass off the right side of the runway. (.4) on December 19, 1998, about 1714 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N5836P, registered to cross winds aviation, inc., experienced an in-flight loss of control during takeoff from the st. Petersburg-Clearwater international airport, Clearwater, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the certified flight instructor (CFI), private-rated student, and one passenger were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the occurrence. The purpose of the flight was for the student to practice soft field takeoffs because he had failed the soft field takeoff procedure during his commercial checkride 3 days earlier. The CFI stated that the student had the tendency while practicing soft field takeoffs previously to not apply enough right rudder after the nose wheel left the ground resulting in the airplane drifting to the left. The airplane was taxied to the runway and after being cleared for takeoff, power was applied and the student initiated a soft field takeoff procedure. After the nose landing gear came off the runway, the airplane began drifting to the left and the CFI advised the student to apply "a lot more right rudder!" The CFI stated that the student applied "way too much" right rudder and while flying in ground effect, the airplane was flying in a cross control condition with right rudder and left aileron inputs applied. The CFI advised the student to remove the right rudder input and he corrected with left rudder and removed the left aileron input. The CFI reported that while in a cross controlled power-on stalled condition, the left wingtip contacted the runway, followed by the right wing. The airplane then traveled off the runway onto grass and came to rest with the right main landing gear collapsed. The CFI stated that he should have taken corrective action sooner. Examination of the right main landing gear assembly by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that the threaded portion of the rod end for the extension/retract rod was bent and broken. (-23) while performing a soft field takeoff, PIC lost control of the aircraft and over corrected his attitude causing the right wing tip to hit-then correcting with left aileron causing the left wing to impact the runway-spar failed as evident by 1. Severely wrinkled skin le to t, 2. Popper rivets, 3. Deep creases, 4. Cracked te spar.

As the FAA filed it

(.19)ON DECEMBER 19, 1998, ABOUT 1714 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-24, N5836P, REISTERED TO CROSS WINDS AVIATION, INC., EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS, WITH A CFI SEATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. DURING THE FIRST TAKEOFF WHILE PERFORMING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE THEN BEGAN VEERING TO THE RIGHT. HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT, BUT SUBSEQUENTLY DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON GRASS OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. (.4) ON DECEMBER 19, 1998, ABOUT 1714 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-24-250, N5836P, REGISTERED TO CROSS WINDS AVIATION, INC., EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), PRIVATE-RATED STUDENT, AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR THE STUDENT TO PRACTICE SOFT FIELD TAKEOFFS BECAUSE HE HAD FAILED THE SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF PROCEDURE DURING HIS COMMERCIAL CHECKRIDE 3 DAYS EARLIER. THE CFI STATED THAT THE STUDENT HAD THE TENDENCY WHILE PRACTICING SOFT FIELD TAKEOFFS PREVIOUSLY TO NOT APPLY ENOUGH RIGHT RUDDER AFTER THE NOSE WHEEL LEFT THE GROUND RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE DRIFTING TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE RUNWAY AND AFTER BEING CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF, POWER WAS APPLIED AND THE STUDENT INITIATED A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF PROCEDURE. AFTER THE NOSE LANDING GEAR CAME OFF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT AND THE CFI ADVISED THE STUDENT TO APPLY "A LOT MORE RIGHT RUDDER!" THE CFI STATED THAT THE STUDENT APPLIED "WAY TOO MUCH" RIGHT RUDDER AND WHILE FLYING IN GROUND EFFECT, THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING IN A CROSS CONTROL CONDITION WITH RIGHT RUDDER AND LEFT AILERON INPUTS APPLIED. THE CFI ADVISED THE STUDENT TO REMOVE THE RIGHT RUDDER INPUT AND HE CORRECTED WITH LEFT RUDDER AND REMOVED THE LEFT AILERON INPUT. THE CFI REPORTED THAT WHILE IN A CROSS CONTROLLED POWER-ON STALLED CONDITION, THE LEFT WINGTIP CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, FOLLOWED BY THE RIGHT WING. THE AIRPLANE THEN TRAVELED OFF THE RUNWAY ONTO GRASS AND CAME TO REST WITH THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE CFI STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION SOONER. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE THREADED PORTION OF THE ROD END FOR THE EXTENSION/RETRACT ROD WAS BENT AND BROKEN. (-23) WHILE PERFORMING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF, PIC LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND OVER CORRECTED HIS ATTITUDE CAUSING THE RIGHT WING TIP TO HIT-THEN CORRECTING WITH LEFT AILERON CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO IMPACT THE RUNWAY-SPAR FAILED AS EVIDENT BY 1. SEVERELY WRINKLED SKIN LE TO T, 2. POPPER RIVETS, 3. DEEP CREASES, 4. CRACKED TE SPAR.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other reports on N5836P · 2

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