# Accident 20020504009609A: Piper PA38112, Hastings, MI, May 4, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 4, 2002, 11:55 local time - Place: Hastings, MI - Airport: Hastings Airport - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 42.6508° N, 85.2794° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.6508&lon=-85.2794&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2494B, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2494B) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-38-112 (registry code 7103812, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA38112 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI02LA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02LA122) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020504009609A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) MR. MORGENSTERN WAS THE PIC AND ACTING AS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THE STUDENT FLARED HIGH DURING LANDING; INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROLS BUT WAS LATE IN TRYING TO CORRECT SITUATION. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST, AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN LEFT OF RUNWAY 12, ON RUNWAY LIGHT AT FULL POWER AND FULL UP ELEVATOR. THE CONTROLS WERE HELD IN THIS POSITION UNTIL AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AFTER STRIKING 3 RUNWAY LIGHTS AND A RUNWAY SIGN. (.19) ON MAY 4, 2002, AT 1155 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-38-112, N2494B, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A HARD LANDING AT THE HASTINGS AIRPORT (9D9), HASTINGS, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND HIS SINGLE STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED 9D9 AT 1115 FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE CFI'S WRITTEN STATEMENT, AFTER COMPLETING SOME BASIC FLIGHT MANEUVERS IN THE PRACTICE AREA THEY RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT TO PRACTICE LANDINGS. THE CFI REPORTED THAT ON THE FIRST APPROACH TO RUNWAY 12 (3,900 FEET BY 75 FEET, DRY/ASPHA LT) THE STUDENT, "FLARED HIGH AND DRIFTED LEFT OF THE RUNWAY." THE CFI STATED THE STUDENT EXECUTED A GO-AROUND WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CFI REPORTED ON THE SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT, "... THE STUDENT WAS MAINTAINING THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE ON FINAL, THEN OVER THE NUMBERS HE FLARED 15 - 20 FT AGL (FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL) AND DRIFTED LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. I CALLED FOR 'GO AROUND'; THE STUDENT HAD ALREADY INITIATED IT (THE GO-AROUND) BY APPLYING FULL THROTTLE AND PITCHING FOR A CLIMB ATTITUDE." THE CFI STATED DURING THE GO-AROUND THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO "... SINK TOWARDS THE GROUND. I CALLED 'MY AIRPLANE', AND TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS. MY FIRST ACTION WAS TO VERIFY THROTTLE AND MIXTURE WERE BOTH FULL FORWARD-WHICH THEY WERE. AT THIS TIME THE STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED SO I IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE NOSE TO GAIN AIRSPEED. AT THIS POINT WE WERE 5 FEET OFF THE GROUND PARALLEL THE RUNWAY OVER THE LEFT RUNWAY LIGHTS AND STILL SINKING. I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT IN GROUND EFFECT AND I REMEMBER THE RIGHT WING WAS LOWERED IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET BACK TO THE RUNWAY. I ROLLED WINGS LEVEL AND RAISED THE NOSE, THEN WE STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT AND LANDED MAIN WHEELS FIRST ON THE GRASS TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A YELLOW CONE (FROM RUNWAY 18-36), THEN THE PROP DUG IN AND WE SPUN TO A STOP NOSE DOWN IN THE GRASS." ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT, DURING THE SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT A GO-AROUND WAS ATTEMPTED. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED, "... I APPLIED FULL POWER TO ABORT THE LANDING, AS MY CFI STATED THE LANDING WAS TO BE ABORTED. WITH FULL POWER APPLIED THE PLANE STARTED TO SINK. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PLANE REFUSED TO FLY AND WENT DOWN TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY 12. WE HIT RUNWAY LIGHTS AND A RUNWAY SIGN. FOR MOST OF THE TIME AS WE WENT DOWN I HAD MY EYES CLOSED AND ONLY SAW THE AIRPLANE HIT A RUNWAY LIGHT AND THE GROUND (AS) WE CAME TO A STOP." ## 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 CHI02LA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02LA122), May 4, 2002: Piper PA-38-112 (N2494B), Hastings, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure to attain airspeed, inadequate supervision of the flight, and delayed remedial action which resulted in a stall. ## Other reports on N2494B (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19910708034909I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910708034909I), Jul 8, 1991: Piper PA38112 (N2494B), Washington, OK, Minor damage. Fuel exhaustion on local flight. Forced landing in field. - [Incident 19901117056249I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19901117056249I), Nov 17, 1990: Piper PA38112 (N2494B), Norman, OK, Minor damage. Student made a hard landing. Bounced several times. Propeller struck runway. - [Incident 19850715038669I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850715038669I), Jul 15, 1985: Piper PA38112 (N2494B), Norman, OK, Minor damage. Student landed during windshift and ran off side of runway and struck runway light. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.