20230808010009I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Airplane Factory SLING LSA · Torrance, CA · August 8, 2023

Date
August 8, 2023 · 16:02 local
Place
Torrance, CA
Airport
Zamperini Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
SPYS
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N169TW
Reported as
Airplane Factory Sling LSA
Reported engine
ROTAX 912ULS series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
351 total310 in this make and model115 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.

The aircraft experienced a runway overrun after landing/touchdown. The flight instructor/pilot in command (PIC) reported that their intent was to touchdown within the first 1,000 feet of the 3,000-foot. While on final the PIC noticed that they were not descending enough to intercept the visual glide slope and initiated a forward slip. The PIC noticed the airspeed was a little higher than usual based on feel but was focusing on maintain visual alignment with the runway more than scanning the instruments and the pic’s plan of action was to bleed off the excess airspeed in ground effect utilizing aerodynamic braking. The PIC stated they had not prepared themselves for a go around and did not react quickly enough in the short seconds that followed and made the decision to put the aircraft on the ground and use maximum braking to finish slowing down. Upon touching down, the PIC concluded that the airspeed was not fast enough to accelerate and rotate before the end of the runway, and the airspeed was still too fast to slow down in the distance remaining which resulted in an overrun past the departure end of the runway causing the aircraft nose gear to collapse, nose to dig into the grass, and the propeller to strike the ground. Immediately after the event, the PIC reported on tower frequency that they tried to put the aircraft in idle and that it appeared there was a stuck throttle. During an interview, the PIC stated after evaluating what had occurred, there were no issues with the throttle.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A RUNWAY OVERRUN AFTER LANDING/TOUCHDOWN. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR/PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) REPORTED THAT THEIR INTENT WAS TO TOUCHDOWN WITHIN THE FIRST 1,000 FEET OF THE 3,000-FOOT. WHILE ON FINAL THE PIC NOTICED THAT THEY WERE NOT DESCENDING ENOUGH TO INTERCEPT THE VISUAL GLIDE SLOPE AND INITIATED A FORWARD SLIP. THE PIC NOTICED THE AIRSPEED WAS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN USUAL BASED ON FEEL BUT WAS FOCUSING ON MAINTAIN VISUAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY MORE THAN SCANNING THE INSTRUMENTS AND THE PIC’S PLAN OF ACTION WAS TO BLEED OFF THE EXCESS AIRSPEED IN GROUND EFFECT UTILIZING AERODYNAMIC BRAKING. THE PIC STATED THEY HAD NOT PREPARED THEMSELVES FOR A GO AROUND AND DID NOT REACT QUICKLY ENOUGH IN THE SHORT SECONDS THAT FOLLOWED AND MADE THE DECISION TO PUT THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND AND USE MAXIMUM BRAKING TO FINISH SLOWING DOWN. UPON TOUCHING DOWN, THE PIC CONCLUDED THAT THE AIRSPEED WAS NOT FAST ENOUGH TO ACCELERATE AND ROTATE BEFORE THE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRSPEED WAS STILL TOO FAST TO SLOW DOWN IN THE DISTANCE REMAINING WHICH RESULTED IN AN OVERRUN PAST THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE, NOSE TO DIG INTO THE GRASS, AND THE PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE GROUND. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EVENT, THE PIC REPORTED ON TOWER FREQUENCY THAT THEY TRIED TO PUT THE AIRCRAFT IN IDLE AND THAT IT APPEARED THERE WAS A STUCK THROTTLE. DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PIC STATED AFTER EVALUATING WHAT HAD OCCURRED, THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THE THROTTLE.

Other reports on N169TW · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.