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20210412005939I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-44-180 · Rockwall, TX · April 12, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 12, 2021 · 17:00 local
Place
Rockwall, TX
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2126Y
Reported as
Piper PA-44-180
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
1,810 total415 in this make and model198 in the last 90 days
N2126YRegistration cancelled May 23, 2022 · Piper PA-44-180S/N 44-7995286 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-44-180Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

Thrust flight part 61 training flight originated from kads with CFI and two students on board. After conducting some training with the first student they landed at Rockwall municipal, F46, where they stopped and deplaned the first student who was flying prior to the incident. The second student and the CFI got back in the plane and taxied to the active RWY17. While taxiing they were coordinating with a helicopter that was performing pattern work to the westside of the runway. After confirming that the helicopter was clear of them they entered the runway and performed a short field take-off. Upon reaching roughly 1100MSL on the crosswind the CFI initiated a simulated engine failure. Student completed memory items and followed up with check list as appropriate. They elected to keep the gear up until turning base due to aircraft performance. While on base to final the CFI was distracted ensuring that the student was maintaining clearance with the helicopter. As a result of his distraction he failed to verify if the student had put the gear in the down position. As they flared the student heard the props hitting the runway and pulled both throttles back to idle the aircraft landed on the belly and skid for approximately 800FT. By the time the FAA was notified city officials had lifted and moved the aircraft to the ramp.

As the FAA filed it

THRUST FLIGHT PART 61 TRAINING FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM KADS WITH CFI AND TWO STUDENTS ON BOARD. AFTER CONDUCTING SOME TRAINING WITH THE FIRST STUDENT THEY LANDED AT ROCKWALL MUNICIPAL, F46, WHERE THEY STOPPED AND DEPLANED THE FIRST STUDENT WHO WAS FLYING PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE SECOND STUDENT AND THE CFI GOT BACK IN THE PLANE AND TAXIED TO THE ACTIVE RWY17. WHILE TAXIING THEY WERE COORDINATING WITH A HELICOPTER THAT WAS PERFORMING PATTERN WORK TO THE WESTSIDE OF THE RUNWAY. AFTER CONFIRMING THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS CLEAR OF THEM THEY ENTERED THE RUNWAY AND PERFORMED A SHORT FIELD TAKE-OFF. UPON REACHING ROUGHLY 1100MSL ON THE CROSSWIND THE CFI INITIATED A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE. STUDENT COMPLETED MEMORY ITEMS AND FOLLOWED UP WITH CHECK LIST AS APPROPRIATE. THEY ELECTED TO KEEP THE GEAR UP UNTIL TURNING BASE DUE TO AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE. WHILE ON BASE TO FINAL THE CFI WAS DISTRACTED ENSURING THAT THE STUDENT WAS MAINTAINING CLEARANCE WITH THE HELICOPTER. AS A RESULT OF HIS DISTRACTION HE FAILED TO VERIFY IF THE STUDENT HAD PUT THE GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION. AS THEY FLARED THE STUDENT HEARD THE PROPS HITTING THE RUNWAY AND PULLED BOTH THROTTLES BACK TO IDLE THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE BELLY AND SKID FOR APPROXIMATELY 800FT. BY THE TIME THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED CITY OFFICIALS HAD LIFTED AND MOVED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RAMP.