OpenAirDocs.org

20000630004759A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Piper PA-38-112 · Montgomery, AL · June 30, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 30, 2000 · 09:50 local
Place
Montgomery, AL
Airport
Dannelly Field
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9713T
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA00LA194
Reported as
Piper PA38112
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
12 total12 in this make and model
N9713TRegistration cancelled Sep 13, 2001 · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-78A0165Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112

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.

While being supervised by his instructor on an observed first solo the student overcontrolled the a/c after experiencing a gust of wind. Because the student did not add power and go around, he caused the a/c to porpoise and then hit nose first resulting in an accident that caused substantial damage to the nose gear as well as substantial damage to the a/c. (.4)on June 30, 2000, about 0950 central daylight time, a Piper PA-38, N9713T, registered to and operated by Montgomery aviation corporation, as a title 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight, experienced a hard landing at Montgomery regional airport, Montgomery, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The student pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, received minor injuries, and the aircraft incurred substantial damage. The flight originated the same day, about 0910. The student pilot stated that it was his first supervised solo flight, and during his second touch-and-go landing, as he flared, a gust caught the airplane, and it porpoised, bouncing three times. The student further stated that during the third bounce the propeller struck the ground, and he knew there was no possibility of a go around. The student said he then tried to stabilize the aircraft, but was unable to do so, and the aircraft struck the ground in a nose-down attitude, incurring structural damage.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE BEING SUPERVISED BY HIS INSTRUCTOR ON AN OBSERVED FIRST SOLO THE STUDENT OVERCONTROLLED THE A/C AFTER EXPERIENCING A GUST OF WIND. BECAUSE THE STUDENT DID NOT ADD POWER AND GO AROUND, HE CAUSED THE A/C TO PORPOISE AND THEN HIT NOSE FIRST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT THAT CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR AS WELL AS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE A/C. (.4)ON JUNE 30, 2000, ABOUT 0950 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-38, N9713T, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY MONTGOMERY AVIATION CORPORATION, AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING AT MONTGOMERY REGIONAL AIRPORT, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 0910. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT IT WAS HIS FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT, AND DURING HIS SECOND TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, AS HE FLARED, A GUST CAUGHT THE AIRPLANE, AND IT PORPOISED, BOUNCING THREE TIMES. THE STUDENT FURTHER STATED THAT DURING THE THIRD BOUNCE THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND, AND HE KNEW THERE WAS NO POSSIBILITY OF A GO AROUND. THE STUDENT SAID HE THEN TRIED TO STABILIZE THE AIRCRAFT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO, AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE, INCURRING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB MIA00LA194Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMontgomery, ALthe student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control upon encountering variable winds during the landing flare/touchdown and his failure to recover from the resulting bounced landing which resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.Jun 30, 2000 · Substantial damage