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20090317010709A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr Sportstar · Minneapolis, MN · March 17, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 17, 2009 · 18:52 local
Place
Minneapolis, MN
Airport
Airlake
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N906LA
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN09LA238
Reported as
Amtr Sportstar
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,020 total45 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days
N906LARegistration cancelled Dec 10, 2014 · Evektor-Aerotechnik SPORTSTAR PLUSS/N 2007 0906 · Built 2007Airframe modelEvektor-Aerotechnik SPORTSTAR PLUSEngine modelRotax 912ULS series4 cycle

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.

(-23) The aircraft was practicing slow flight and landings at klvn on runway 30. privacy data omitted Was giving instruction to a student pilot, privacy data omitted. On the second attempt to simulate slow flight near stall speeds while landing the student touched the aircraft main wheels to the runway. At midfield the instructor commanded a "go around". About 3/4 of the way down the runway the aircraft suddenly veered left." As the go around was performed the aircraft pitched up and to the left. The instructor states "I was stepping hard on the right rudder and pushing the stick forward, but the airplane continued to turn and roll left. I knew at this point that he (student pilot) was pushing my left rudder pedal down and holding it, but there was no time to get his foot off my left rudder pedal. Nor could I overpower his locked leg on the pedal." Photographs show the rudder pedals in the middle of the aircraft very close, without any physical barrier preventing a scenario as described above, from occurring. I will be completing a safety recommendation involving the rudder pedals.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS PRACTICING SLOW FLIGHT AND LANDINGS AT KLVN ON RUNWAY 30. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS GIVING INSTRUCTION TO A STUDENT PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO SIMULATE SLOW FLIGHT NEAR STALL SPEEDS WHILE LANDING THE STUDENT TOUCHED THE AIRCRAFT MAIN WHEELS TO THE RUNWAY. AT MIDFIELD THE INSTRUCTOR COMMANDED A "GO AROUND". ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY VEERED LEFT." AS THE GO AROUND WAS PERFORMED THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP AND TO THE LEFT. THE INSTRUCTOR STATES "I WAS STEPPING HARD ON THE RIGHT RUDDER AND PUSHING THE STICK FORWARD, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO TURN AND ROLL LEFT. I KNEW AT THIS POINT THAT HE (STUDENT PILOT) WAS PUSHING MY LEFT RUDDER PEDAL DOWN AND HOLDING IT, BUT THERE WAS NO TIME TO GET HIS FOOT OFF MY LEFT RUDDER PEDAL. NOR COULD I OVERPOWER HIS LOCKED LEG ON THE PEDAL." PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THE RUDDER PEDALS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIRCRAFT VERY CLOSE, WITHOUT ANY PHYSICAL BARRIER PREVENTING A SCENARIO AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, FROM OCCURRING. I WILL BE COMPLETING A SAFETY RECOMMENDATION INVOLVING THE RUDDER PEDALS.

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 CEN09LA238Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLakeville, MNThe instructor pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, and the student pilot’s unintentional interference with the instructor’s rudder pedal during the go-around. Contributing to the accident was the cockpit design which allowed…Mar 17, 2009 · Substantial damage