What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a training flight on August 21, 2025, a flight instructor and student pilot encountered control interference issues while landing on runway 32 at kgai, with an ipad located on the student’s lap contributing to the problem. The flight instructor noted the student's unfamiliarity with certain procedures, due to being new to the flight school and insignificant previous training. During the landing approach, the student pilot reported that the ipad was interfering with the control yoke, compromising their ability to control the aircraft effectively. In the instructor's written statement, she mentioned briefly diverting her attention to help adjust the ipad, which led to a delayed realization that the aircraft had landed too FAR down the runway. The instructor explained that due to insufficient runway and the presence of obstacles, they chose not to attempt a go-around, and instead applied full brakes and steered the aircraft onto the grass to prevent a more severe outcome, which the instructor noted could have resulted from attempting a go-around. The aircraft came to a stop in an upright position, 140 feet beyond the runway's end, down in a ravine. This resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, which included, the propeller, nose gear and nose wheel, engine firewall, underside of the forward fuselage, jammed flight control surface, and wing tip.
Weather: kgai 211933Z auto VRB03KT 10SM BKN016 OVC048 21/21 A2995 rmk AO2 RAE04 pno
As the FAA filed it
DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT ON AUGUST 21, 2025, A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT ENCOUNTERED CONTROL INTERFERENCE ISSUES WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 32 AT KGAI, WITH AN IPAD LOCATED ON THE STUDENT’S LAP CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR NOTED THE STUDENT'S UNFAMILIARITY WITH CERTAIN PROCEDURES, DUE TO BEING NEW TO THE FLIGHT SCHOOL AND INSIGNIFICANT PREVIOUS TRAINING. DURING THE LANDING APPROACH, THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT THE IPAD WAS INTERFERING WITH THE CONTROL YOKE, COMPROMISING THEIR ABILITY TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT EFFECTIVELY. IN THE INSTRUCTOR'S WRITTEN STATEMENT, SHE MENTIONED BRIEFLY DIVERTING HER ATTENTION TO HELP ADJUST THE IPAD, WHICH LED TO A DELAYED REALIZATION THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD LANDED TOO FAR DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE INSTRUCTOR EXPLAINED THAT DUE TO INSUFFICIENT RUNWAY AND THE PRESENCE OF OBSTACLES, THEY CHOSE NOT TO ATTEMPT A GO-AROUND, AND INSTEAD APPLIED FULL BRAKES AND STEERED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE GRASS TO PREVENT A MORE SEVERE OUTCOME, WHICH THE INSTRUCTOR NOTED COULD HAVE RESULTED FROM ATTEMPTING A GO-AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION, 140 FEET BEYOND THE RUNWAY'S END, DOWN IN A RAVINE. THIS RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH INCLUDED, THE PROPELLER, NOSE GEAR AND NOSE WHEEL, ENGINE FIREWALL, UNDERSIDE OF THE FORWARD FUSELAGE, JAMMED FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACE, AND WING TIP.
WEATHER: KGAI 211933Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM BKN016 OVC048 21/21 A2995 RMK AO2 RAE04 PNO
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N505LP · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.