19990603006359A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-38-112 · Houston, TX · June 3, 1999

Date
June 3, 1999 · 17:30 local
Place
Houston, TX
Airport
May Airport
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4273E
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN99LA095
Reported as
Piper PA38112
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
365 total25 in this make and model60 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.

(.4) On June 3, 1999, at 1730 central daylight time, a Piper PA-38-112, N4273E, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the ground during a go-around at may field, Houston, Texas. The certified flight insturctor and his student were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local area instructional flight operating under title 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from david wayne hooks field, spring, Texas, at 1620. According to the flight instructor, the student was flying and a crosswind caused him to lose control. During the attempted go-around, the aircraft struck the ground. The flight instructor reported he had 365 hours total flight experience with 25 hours as a flight instructor and 24 hours as a flight instructor in the accident make and model aircraft. The student reported he had 160 hours total flight experience with 17 hours in the accident make and model aircraft and 4 hours as pilot in co mmand in the accident make and model. The closest weather reporting station was at david wayne hooks field, spring, Texas located approximately 4 miles from the accident site. Weather at the facility at 1753 indicated the winds were from 160 degrees at 10 knots with no gusts reported. The flight instructor reported the winds at may field were from 230 degrees at 10 with gusts to 20 at the time of the accident. Both the instructor and the weather station indicated there were scattered clouds at 4,000 to 5,000 feet. The landing was being made on runway 17. (-23)conducting short field landing, a wind gust lifted right wing. Aircraft drifted off runway and struck a hedge row turning aircraft to the left. Substantial damage to aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) ON JUNE 3, 1999, AT 1730 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-38-112, N4273E, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND DURING A GO-AROUND AT MAY FIELD, HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTURCTOR AND HIS STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THIS LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM DAVID WAYNE HOOKS FIELD, SPRING, TEXAS, AT 1620. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE STUDENT WAS FLYING AND A CROSSWIND CAUSED HIM TO LOSE CONTROL. DURING THE ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED HE HAD 365 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WITH 25 HOURS AS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND 24 HOURS AS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IN THE ACCIDENT MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT. THE STUDENT REPORTED HE HAD 160 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WITH 17 HOURS IN THE ACCIDENT MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT AND 4 HOURS AS PILOT IN CO MMAND IN THE ACCIDENT MAKE AND MODEL. THE CLOSEST WEATHER REPORTING STATION WAS AT DAVID WAYNE HOOKS FIELD, SPRING, TEXAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. WEATHER AT THE FACILITY AT 1753 INDICATED THE WINDS WERE FROM 160 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS WITH NO GUSTS REPORTED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THE WINDS AT MAY FIELD WERE FROM 230 DEGREES AT 10 WITH GUSTS TO 20 AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. BOTH THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE WEATHER STATION INDICATED THERE WERE SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 4,000 TO 5,000 FEET. THE LANDING WAS BEING MADE ON RUNWAY 17. (-23)CONDUCTING SHORT FIELD LANDING, A WIND GUST LIFTED RIGHT WING. AIRCRAFT DRIFTED OFF RUNWAY AND STRUCK A HEDGE ROW TURNING AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

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