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20220323004099A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Airplane Factory SLING LSA · Torrance, CA · March 23, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 23, 2022 · 10:45 local
Place
Torrance, CA
Airport
Torrance Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N863SL
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR22LA135
Reported as
Airplane Factory Sling LSA
Reported engine
ROTAX 912 IS
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,850 total300 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days
N863SLRegistered now · Airplane Factory SLING LSAS/N 302 · Built 2019Airframe modelAirplane Factory SLING LSAEngine modelRotax 912 IS series4 cycle

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.

Investigation: I was notified by the long beach flight standards district office that on March 23, 2022 at 1045 local time at the Torrance airport (ktoa) N863SL did not comply with the safety requirement to maintain control of the aircraft during landing. Upon landing with a right quartering tailwind the pilot in command instructor excessively flared the nose of the aircraft expecting the instructor under training to take over which did not happen and the pilot in command instructor was unable to recover with full power. The aircraft veered left of the centerline and struck runway signs on the edge of the runway. There was damage to both wingtips, the base of the rudder frame and the left aileron. The FAA became aware on March 23, 2002.

Root cause analysis (rca): this nonconformance was due to the following:

1. The pilot in command instructor assumed the instructor under training would call out the corrective procedures or take control of the aircraft which did not happen.

2. The pilot in command instructor allowed the aircraft to get behind the ?power curve? In which after application of full power the pilot in command instructor could not safely control the aircraft until it landed to the left of the centerline and the left wing was off the left side of the runway.

Corrective action: the pilot in command instructor corrected the safety issue by recognizing that he no longer have an expectation that an instructor under training will take the appropriate action. The pilot in command instructor will maintain awareness of the aircraft?s limitations and not exceed those limitations in the future.

Comments: I used counseling to regain safe operations. I am satisfied the pilot in command instructor corrective actions fully address the identified cause(s) and have reestablished safe operations. I recommend no further action or additional follow-up.

As the FAA filed it

INVESTIGATION: I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE LONG BEACH FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE THAT ON MARCH 23, 2022 AT 1045 LOCAL TIME AT THE TORRANCE AIRPORT (KTOA) N863SL DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE SAFETY REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING. UPON LANDING WITH A RIGHT QUARTERING TAILWIND THE PILOT IN COMMAND INSTRUCTOR EXCESSIVELY FLARED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT EXPECTING THE INSTRUCTOR UNDER TRAINING TO TAKE OVER WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN AND THE PILOT IN COMMAND INSTRUCTOR WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER WITH FULL POWER. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE AND STRUCK RUNWAY SIGNS ON THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGTIPS, THE BASE OF THE RUDDER FRAME AND THE LEFT AILERON. THE FAA BECAME AWARE ON MARCH 23, 2002.

ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS (RCA): THIS NONCONFORMANCE WAS DUE TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. THE PILOT IN COMMAND INSTRUCTOR ASSUMED THE INSTRUCTOR UNDER TRAINING WOULD CALL OUT THE CORRECTIVE PROCEDURES OR TAKE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN.

2. THE PILOT IN COMMAND INSTRUCTOR ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO GET BEHIND THE ?POWER CURVE? IN WHICH AFTER APPLICATION OF FULL POWER THE PILOT IN COMMAND INSTRUCTOR COULD NOT SAFELY CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL IT LANDED TO THE LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE AND THE LEFT WING WAS OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.

CORRECTIVE ACTION: THE PILOT IN COMMAND INSTRUCTOR CORRECTED THE SAFETY ISSUE BY RECOGNIZING THAT HE NO LONGER HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT AN INSTRUCTOR UNDER TRAINING WILL TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION. THE PILOT IN COMMAND INSTRUCTOR WILL MAINTAIN AWARENESS OF THE AIRCRAFT?S LIMITATIONS AND NOT EXCEED THOSE LIMITATIONS IN THE FUTURE.

COMMENTS: I USED COUNSELING TO REGAIN SAFE OPERATIONS. I AM SATISFIED THE PILOT IN COMMAND INSTRUCTOR CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FULLY ADDRESS THE IDENTIFIED CAUSE(S) AND HAVE REESTABLISHED SAFE OPERATIONS. I RECOMMEND NO FURTHER ACTION OR ADDITIONAL FOLLOW-UP.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR22LA135Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportTorrance, CAThe flight instructor’s loss of airplane control during an aborted landing due to a wind shift, which resulted in an impact with a runway sign.Mar 23, 2022 · Substantial damage