# Accident 20021002025949A: Piper PA28161, Norman, OK, October 2, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 2, 2002, 17:45 local time - Place: Norman, OK - Airport: University Of Oklahoma - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: GD8S - Location: 35.2456° N, 97.4722° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2456&lon=-97.4722&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9623C (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161 - Reported engine: LYC O320D3G - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 9 total, 9 in this make and model, 9 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW03LA002](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA002) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021002025949A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON OCTOBER 2, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1900 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161 SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N9623C, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE LANDING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA WESTHEIMER AIRPORT, NORMAN, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. THE STUDENT PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE WESTHEIMER AIRPORT, AT 1830. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE FLIGHT SCHOOL'S DIRECTOR OF AVIATION REPORTED THAT THIS WAS THE STUDENT PILOT'S FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO. DURING THE STUDENT'S THIRD LANDING TO RUNWAY 17, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND SUBSEQUENTLY VEERED LEFT, DEPARTING PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTING A DITCH WHERE THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A UPRIGHT POSITION. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE LEFT WING AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE DAMAGED, BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT, AND THE LOWER PART OF THE FIREWALL HAD SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. AT 1854, THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA AUTOMATFLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE WESTHEIMER AIRPORT, AT 1840 AND AN ALTIMETER OF 29.92 INCHES OF MERCURY. (-23) THE STUDENT WAS ON HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT. ON THE THIRD LANDING OF THESOLO FLIGHT THE STUDENT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SKIDDED OFF RWY 17, CROSSING TAXIWAY HOTEL AND A LARGE DRAINAGE DITCH THE TOTAL DISTANCE OF THE TRACK APPROX. 250 YARDS. THE IMPACT OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE DITCH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT LANDING GEAR, NOSE WHEE, NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT, FIREWALL, ENGINE MOUNT AND PROPELLER STRIKE UPON CONTACT WITH THE DITCH. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO POST CRASH FIRE. (.4) ON OCTOBER 2, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1850 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161 SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N9623C, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHILE LANDING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA WESTHEIMER AIRPORT, NORMAN, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. THE STUDENT PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE WESTHEIMER AIRPORT, AT 1840. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2) THE 11-HOUR STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT THIS WAS HIS FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT, AND THAT HIS FIRST TWO TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS WERE "NORMAL." THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT ON HIS THIRD APPROACH TO RUNWAY 17, THE AIRSPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 62 KNOTS, AND THE VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE INDICATOR (VASI) WAS INDICATING THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS TOO LOW. "TO GAIN ALTITUDE I INCREASED POWER, WHICH PUT ME BACK ON PATH." THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER PASSING THE NUMBERS ON RUNWAY 17 HE WAS ABOUT 20 FEET HIGH AND NOTICED THAT THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE SEEMED A LITTLE HIGH. HE THEN PITCHED THE NOSE DOWN TO KEEP FROM "FLOATING." AFTER TOUCHING DOWN "HARD" THE AIRPLANE BEGAN SKIDDING TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE WITH THE RUDDER PEDALS, BUT "APPARENTLY OVERCORRECTED." THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS INTERMITTENTLY APPLYING BRAKES, BUT WAS ALREADY OFF THE RUNWAY MOVING TOWARD A CULVERT. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE CONTINUED TO TRY TO GAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, BUT WAS NEVER ABLE TO FULLY RECOVER CONTROL. AFTER COMING TO REST UPRIGHT IN A SHALLOW CULVERT, THE PILOT PLACED THE MIXTURE CONTROL TO IDLE-CUTOFF AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WHO WORKED FOR THE UNIVERSITY REPORTED THAT THE LEFT WING AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE DAMAGED, BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT, AND THE LOWER PART OF THE FIREWALL SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. AT 1854, THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA AUTOMATIC WEATHER OBSERVING SYSTEM REPORTED SKY CLEAR, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, WIND 140 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS, TEMPERATURE 84 DEGREES F, DEW POINT 72 DEGREES F, AND AN ALTIMETER OF 29.92 INCHES OF MERCURY. ## 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 FTW03LA002](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA002), Oct 2, 2002: Piper PA-28-161 (N9623C), Norman, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A factor was the inadequate flare. 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.