What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 20, 2016, airman kristine andrews piloted a Piper N8218Z on her fourth solo out of Skylark Field Airport (kile). After accomplishing her flight maneuvers, she returned for her landings practice. She successfully completed one landing and two go-arounds before attempting her second landing. On her second landing, the airman landed about 150' short of the runway. She proceeded to taxi onto the runway and the taxiway where the aircraft finally came to a full stop due to a collapsed left main gear. There were no reported injuries.
Inspectors from SW17 interviewed the airman and her instructor. During the interview several items of interest emerged.
These are as follows:
-Ctc doesn't emphasize aircraft speeds. When the inspectors asked instructor to describe how to teach a landing/traffic pattern, the instructor described procedures but no airspeed. When asked about this omission, he admitted the school emphasized more on visual cues than airspeed. The only range he actually provided willingly was to have students be within the white arc/flap limitation speed. When pushed to give a desired tolerance, he gave a speed of "approximately 70-80 knots on base and 75-80 on final for the Piper." When cross-referenced with the aircraft's POH, the speeds are slightly off. The airman's last airspeed check on final was 70 knots with 20 of flaps, slower than then instructor's speed range, but above the aircraft's final approach speed of 66 knots as per the POH.
-Ctc teaches power-off landings as the normal landing, with the runway numbers as the aim point. This provides no safety buffer to prevent off-runway landings. This also makes it more difficult for students to learn the faa's definition of a stabilized approach.
-Ctc doesn't require weight and balance calculations if flight is in the local area.
-The airman's instructor is the assistant chief flight instructor.
-Ctc doesn't exclusively use fits as the grading standard. Without the grading standard, it is difficult to track what training line items the airman has struggled with in the past, specifically landing-related line items.
These items are indication of a weakening flight training program and have been forwarded to ctc's poi for review.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2016, AIRMAN KRISTINE ANDREWS PILOTED A PIPER N8218Z ON HER FOURTH SOLO OUT OF SKYLARK FIELD AIRPORT (KILE). AFTER ACCOMPLISHING HER FLIGHT MANEUVERS, SHE RETURNED FOR HER LANDINGS PRACTICE. SHE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ONE LANDING AND TWO GO-AROUNDS BEFORE ATTEMPTING HER SECOND LANDING. ON HER SECOND LANDING, THE AIRMAN LANDED ABOUT 150' SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. SHE PROCEEDED TO TAXI ONTO THE RUNWAY AND THE TAXIWAY WHERE THE AIRCRAFT FINALLY CAME TO A FULL STOP DUE TO A COLLAPSED LEFT MAIN GEAR. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES.
INSPECTORS FROM SW17 INTERVIEWED THE AIRMAN AND HER INSTRUCTOR. DURING THE INTERVIEW SEVERAL ITEMS OF INTEREST EMERGED.
THESE ARE AS FOLLOWS:
-CTC DOESN'T EMPHASIZE AIRCRAFT SPEEDS. WHEN THE INSPECTORS ASKED INSTRUCTOR TO DESCRIBE HOW TO TEACH A LANDING/TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE INSTRUCTOR DESCRIBED PROCEDURES BUT NO AIRSPEED. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THIS OMISSION, HE ADMITTED THE SCHOOL EMPHASIZED MORE ON VISUAL CUES THAN AIRSPEED. THE ONLY RANGE HE ACTUALLY PROVIDED WILLINGLY WAS TO HAVE STUDENTS BE WITHIN THE WHITE ARC/FLAP LIMITATION SPEED. WHEN PUSHED TO GIVE A DESIRED TOLERANCE, HE GAVE A SPEED OF "APPROXIMATELY 70-80 KNOTS ON BASE AND 75-80 ON FINAL FOR THE PIPER." WHEN CROSS-REFERENCED WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S POH, THE SPEEDS ARE SLIGHTLY OFF. THE AIRMAN'S LAST AIRSPEED CHECK ON FINAL WAS 70 KNOTS WITH 20 OF FLAPS, SLOWER THAN THEN INSTRUCTOR'S SPEED RANGE, BUT ABOVE THE AIRCRAFT'S FINAL APPROACH SPEED OF 66 KNOTS AS PER THE POH.
-CTC TEACHES POWER-OFF LANDINGS AS THE NORMAL LANDING, WITH THE RUNWAY NUMBERS AS THE AIM POINT. THIS PROVIDES NO SAFETY BUFFER TO PREVENT OFF-RUNWAY LANDINGS. THIS ALSO MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN THE FAA'S DEFINITION OF A STABILIZED APPROACH.
-CTC DOESN'T REQUIRE WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATIONS IF FLIGHT IS IN THE LOCAL AREA.
-THE AIRMAN'S INSTRUCTOR IS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
-CTC DOESN'T EXCLUSIVELY USE FITS AS THE GRADING STANDARD. WITHOUT THE GRADING STANDARD, IT IS DIFFICULT TO TRACK WHAT TRAINING LINE ITEMS THE AIRMAN HAS STRUGGLED WITH IN THE PAST, SPECIFICALLY LANDING-RELATED LINE ITEMS.
THESE ITEMS ARE INDICATION OF A WEAKENING FLIGHT TRAINING PROGRAM AND HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO CTC'S POI FOR REVIEW.
Other reports on N8218Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.