What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 21, 2011 at approximately 16:00 local time, student pilot privacy data omitted, accompanied by his flight instructor, privacy data omitted and passenger privacy data omitted, entered the left downwind of runway 14 at Okeechobee County Airport, Okeechobee, Florida in Piper PA-28, N9249L. At a position opposite the touchdown point, privacy data omitted reduced the power to idle in order for privacy data omitted to practice a power off approach and landing. According to flight instructor privacy data omitted, his student pilot allowed the aircraft to get to slow, and on short final he instructed the student to "go around." privacy data omitted Stated that the student did not respond quickly enough, so he took the flight controls and attempted to execute a go-around. However, privacy data omitted did not intervene quickly enough to prevent the aircraft from striking obstacles on the ground which resulted in the following accident sequence:the left main landing gear of N9249L first struck a small tree that was approximately 10 feet in height, breaking off branches and causing the aircraft to yaw to the left to a heading of approximately 120 degrees. N9249L then traveled approximately 40 feet and struck the top rail of a 6 foot high chain link fence. Such impact caused a 20 foot section of the top rail to break away from the fence assembly. The aircraft then traveled approximately another 100 feet and impacted the ground in a tail low attitude on a heading of approximately 120 degrees. N9249L then traveled approximately another 300 feet where the left wing of the aircraft struck a barbed wire fence and the right wing of the aircraft struck a chain link fence. Such impact caused substantial damage to the left and right wings, fuselage, and propeller. The aircraft then traveled approximately another 146 feet on a heading of approximately 120 degrees until a strand of barbed wire that had become entangled with the nose gear was stretched from the attachment point on a fence post to the maximum length of the wire. Such barbed wire actually functioned as an "arresting wire" hooked to the nose gear, causing the aircraft to make a sharp pivot to the left and come to rest on a heading of approximately 335 degrees. All persons aboard N9249L exited the aircraft and sustained no injury throughout the event. The flight instructor reported no pre-accident mechanical defects associated with the operation of N9249L, and a post accident investigation revealed no pre-accident mechanical issues that could have contributed to the accident. Accordingly, the primary causal factor associated with the accident of N9249L was the flight instructor's failure to intervene and assume control of the aircraft from his student before the aircraft descended and slowed to an altitude and airspeed that was not recoverable, thus allowing the aircraft to strike obstacles on the ground.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 16:00 LOCAL TIME, STUDENT PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ENTERED THE LEFT DOWNWIND OF RUNWAY 14 AT OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AIRPORT, OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA IN PIPER PA-28, N9249L. AT A POSITION OPPOSITE THE TOUCHDOWN POINT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REDUCED THE POWER TO IDLE IN ORDER FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO PRACTICE A POWER OFF APPROACH AND LANDING. ACCORDING TO FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HIS STUDENT PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO GET TO SLOW, AND ON SHORT FINAL HE INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO "GO AROUND." ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE STUDENT DID NOT RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH, SO HE TOOK THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND. HOWEVER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT INTERVENE QUICKLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM STRIKING OBSTACLES ON THE GROUND WHICH RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING ACCIDENT SEQUENCE:THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR OF N9249L FIRST STRUCK A SMALL TREE THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET IN HEIGHT, BREAKING OFF BRANCHES AND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW TO THE LEFT TO A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES. N9249L THEN TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET AND STRUCK THE TOP RAIL OF A 6 FOOT HIGH CHAIN LINK FENCE. SUCH IMPACT CAUSED A 20 FOOT SECTION OF THE TOP RAIL TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE FENCE ASSEMBLY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 100 FEET AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A TAIL LOW ATTITUDE ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES. N9249L THEN TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 300 FEET WHERE THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BARBED WIRE FENCE AND THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A CHAIN LINK FENCE. SUCH IMPACT CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS, FUSELAGE, AND PROPELLER. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 146 FEET ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES UNTIL A STRAND OF BARBED WIRE THAT HAD BECOME ENTANGLED WITH THE NOSE GEAR WAS STRETCHED FROM THE ATTACHMENT POINT ON A FENCE POST TO THE MAXIMUM LENGTH OF THE WIRE. SUCH BARBED WIRE ACTUALLY FUNCTIONED AS AN "ARRESTING WIRE" HOOKED TO THE NOSE GEAR, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO MAKE A SHARP PIVOT TO THE LEFT AND COME TO REST ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 335 DEGREES. ALL PERSONS ABOARD N9249L EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND SUSTAINED NO INJURY THROUGHOUT THE EVENT.THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED NO PRE-ACCIDENT MECHANICAL DEFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATION OF N9249L, AND A POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO PRE-ACCIDENT MECHANICAL ISSUES THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDINGLY, THE PRIMARY CAUSAL FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT OF N9249L WAS THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S FAILURE TO INTERVENE AND ASSUME CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM HIS STUDENT BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AND SLOWED TO AN ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED THAT WAS NOT RECOVERABLE, THUS ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO STRIKE OBSTACLES ON THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.