What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During an instructional flight, the student pilot (sp) was conducting a landing. The instructor pilot (ip) said everything was normal on the approach. As the sp flared the aircraft to land, the aircraft drifted to the right of the centerline. The initial correction made by the sp was to make a left pedal input (rather than a left wing down and a right pedal input). The sp realized that the input was incorrect and then lowered the left wing to stop the right drift. The sp then applied the right pedal to land the aircraft parallel to the centerline. Once the aircraft was on the ground, the ip explained that the sp then made a left pedal input to get back to the centerline. When this occurred, the aircraft turned approximately 45 degrees to the left and quickly departed the runway. The ip took the controls of the aircraft to avoid all the runway lights and the precision approach path indicator light system adjacent to runway 36. The aircraft then traversed across the grass and into a ditch adjacent to taxiway A-4. The aircraft came to rest as it impacted the FAR side of a ditch. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, as the firewall was badly damaged (as the nose gear foldedrearward in the ditch) and the aft fuselage bulkhead was distorted where the tailboom was attached. The right landing gear was bent upward after impacting the ground in the ditch. Additional damage occurred to the right wing (outboard 1/4) and tip, one propeller blade was bent aft (no power applied to engine-no signs of curling/q-tipping of the blades) and some minor leading edge damage occurred to the left wing just outboard of the landing/taxiing lights.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE STUDENT PILOT (SP) WAS CONDUCTING A LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (IP) SAID EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL ON THE APPROACH. AS THE SP FLARED THE AIRCRAFT TO LAND, THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENTERLINE. THE INITIAL CORRECTION MADE BY THE SP WAS TO MAKE A LEFT PEDAL INPUT (RATHER THAN A LEFT WING DOWN AND A RIGHT PEDAL INPUT). THE SP REALIZED THAT THE INPUT WAS INCORRECT AND THEN LOWERED THE LEFT WING TO STOP THE RIGHT DRIFT. THE SP THEN APPLIED THE RIGHT PEDAL TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT PARALLEL TO THE CENTERLINE. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE GROUND, THE IP EXPLAINED THAT THE SP THEN MADE A LEFT PEDAL INPUT TO GET BACK TO THE CENTERLINE. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND QUICKLY DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. THE IP TOOK THE CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT TO AVOID ALL THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND THE PRECISION APPROACH PATH INDICATOR LIGHT SYSTEM ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 36. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TRAVERSED ACROSS THE GRASS AND INTO A DITCH ADJACENT TO TAXIWAY A-4. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AS IT IMPACTED THE FAR SIDE OF A DITCH. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AS THE FIREWALL WAS BADLY DAMAGED (AS THE NOSE GEAR FOLDEDREARWARD IN THE DITCH) AND THE AFT FUSELAGE BULKHEAD WAS DISTORTED WHERE THE TAILBOOM WAS ATTACHED. THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR WAS BENT UPWARD AFTER IMPACTING THE GROUND IN THE DITCH. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE RIGHT WING (OUTBOARD 1/4) AND TIP, ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BENT AFT (NO POWER APPLIED TO ENGINE-NO SIGNS OF CURLING/Q-TIPPING OF THE BLADES) AND SOME MINOR LEADING EDGE DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE LEFT WING JUST OUTBOARD OF THE LANDING/TAXIING LIGHTS.
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 N21670 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.