# Accident 20151210019029A: Piper PA-28-140, Leonardtown, MD, December 10, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 10, 2015, 20:00 local time
- Place: Leonardtown, MD
- Airport: St. Mary'S County
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.3169° N, 76.5586° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3169&lon=-76.5586&mi=10
- Aircraft: N432FL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N432FL-2018-05-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA16CA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA077) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151210019029A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

CFI ACCOMPANYING (NON-CERTIICATED) STUDENT PILOT ON INITIAL NIGHT FLIGHT; STUDENT WAS SOLE MANIPULATOR OF THE CONTROLS THROUGHOUT LESSON;

EXCESSIVELY LOW ALTITUDE ON FINAL APPROACH WAS NOT DETECTED BY CFI AND CONTINUED GIVING VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT

CFI INDICATED HE NEVER TOOK PHYSICAL CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT

STUDENT MAY HAVE MISINTERPRETED THE VERBAL COMMAND OF "POWER" FROM THE INSTRUCTOR TO IMPLY REDUCING -- RATHER THAN INCREASING -- POWER

INSTRUCTOR STATED HE DID NOT ESTABLISH VISUAL REFERENCE WITH ILLUMINATED ATTITUDE INDICATOR

VASI INFORMATION FROM THE A/FD PESCRIBED A 3 DEGREE GLIDE PATH

FLAPS REMAINED RETRACTED THROUGHOUT APPROACH PATTERN

INSTRUCTOR STATED AIRSPEED ON FINAL APPROACH WAS 85 MPH

AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES ON FINAL APPROACH AND SETTLED ABOUT 200 FEET LEFT OF CENTERLINE, AND 300 YARDS FROM THE THRESHOLD

## 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 GAA16CA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA077), Dec 11, 2015: Piper PA 28 (N432FL), California, MD, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot's descent below the prescribed final approach path at night, and flight instructor's failure to correct the student pilot's descent, which resulted in a collision with trees and…

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.

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