20180807010369I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Mesa, AZ · August 7, 2018

Date
August 7, 2018 · 13:17 local
Place
Mesa, AZ
Airport
Falcon Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
B4VS
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4400S
Reported as
Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360-A4M
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
52 total52 in this make and model52 in the last 90 days

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.

Airman was performing his first cross country flight in accordance with the flight silibus. Upon return to Falcon Field (ffz). On approach an aircraft asked for a wind check. Ffz tower responded with winds 310 deg at 13 knots. Tower again responded with winds 290 deg at 14 knots. Prior to flight, the student prepared a risk assesment form and stated the winds were not within 5 knots of the student pilots limitations. A flight instructor has placed a solo flight endorsement limitation of 12 knots max wind with 7 knots max cross wind. A second flight instructor has updated the wind limitation to 15 knots max with 10 knots cross wind. Based on the weather information at the time, the maximum winds were 13 knots with 9 knots of cross wind. Cae oxford utilizes flight data recorders and onboard video cameras. During the touchdown, it was observed that the airman touched down with the right wing low to compensate for the right cross wind but has full left pedal applied. After touchdown, the aircraft veered to the left. The airman states that he applied right pedal to compensate but has no effect. As the aircraft departed the runway, it struck a runway marking sign. The impact of the sign caused damage to the left wing root to just outboard of the left fuel tank and landing gear fairing. The propeller struck the sign as well. There were no injuries to the aircraft pilot.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMAN WAS PERFORMING HIS FIRST CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FLIGHT SILIBUS. UPON RETURN TO FALCON FIELD (FFZ). ON APPROACH AN AIRCRAFT ASKED FOR A WIND CHECK. FFZ TOWER RESPONDED WITH WINDS 310 DEG AT 13 KNOTS. TOWER AGAIN RESPONDED WITH WINDS 290 DEG AT 14 KNOTS. PRIOR TO FLIGHT, THE STUDENT PREPARED A RISK ASSESMENT FORM AND STATED THE WINDS WERE NOT WITHIN 5 KNOTS OF THE STUDENT PILOTS LIMITATIONS. A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HAS PLACED A SOLO FLIGHT ENDORSEMENT LIMITATION OF 12 KNOTS MAX WIND WITH 7 KNOTS MAX CROSS WIND. A SECOND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HAS UPDATED THE WIND LIMITATION TO 15 KNOTS MAX WITH 10 KNOTS CROSS WIND. BASED ON THE WEATHER INFORMATION AT THE TIME, THE MAXIMUM WINDS WERE 13 KNOTS WITH 9 KNOTS OF CROSS WIND. CAE OXFORD UTILIZES FLIGHT DATA RECORDERS AND ONBOARD VIDEO CAMERAS. DURING THE TOUCHDOWN, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE AIRMAN TOUCHED DOWN WITH THE RIGHT WING LOW TO COMPENSATE FOR THE RIGHT CROSS WIND BUT HAS FULL LEFT PEDAL APPLIED. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRMAN STATES THAT HE APPLIED RIGHT PEDAL TO COMPENSATE BUT HAS NO EFFECT. AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, IT STRUCK A RUNWAY MARKING SIGN. THE IMPACT OF THE SIGN CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING ROOT TO JUST OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND LANDING GEAR FAIRING. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE SIGN AS WELL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE AIRCRAFT PILOT.