- Date
- April 15, 2006, 13:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Birchwood, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7257DPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage, FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20060415007169A
- Case key
- 63507
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight instructor's delayed remedial action during the landing roll, which resulted in the loss of directional control by the student, a ground-loop, and collapse of the main landing gear. A factor associated with the accident was the student's failure to maintain directional control.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The certificated flight instructor was providing dual instruction under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The flight instructor said during landing the student over-corrected with the rudder, causing the airplane to swerve to the right, and then over-corrected again by applying full left rudder. He said as he attempted to take control of the airplane, the student applied full right rudder, and the airplane swerved to the right. The instructor said the swerve to the right was more than he could correct, because there are no brakes on the rudder pedals on the right side of the airplane. He said the airplane ground-looped to the right, and the left main landing gear collapsed, resulting in structural damage to the left wing and fuselage. The instructor said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. In his written report to the NTSB, he wrote: "I should have recognized the student's over controlling sooner, and assumed control of the airplane prior to the ground-loop actually happening."
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor was providing dual instruction under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The flight instructor said during landing the student over-corrected with the rudder, causing the airplane to swerve to the right, and then over-corrected again by applying full left rudder. He said as he attempted to take control of the airplane, the student applied full right rudder, and the airplane swerved to the right. The instructor said the swerve to the right was more than he could correct, because there are no brakes on the rudder pedals on the right side of the airplane. He said the airplane ground-looped to the right, and the left main landing gear collapsed, resulting in structural damage to the left wing and fuselage. The instructor said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. In his written report to the NTSB, he wrote: "I should have recognized the student's over controlling sooner, and assumed control of the airplane prior to the ground-loop actually happening."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7257D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-5084
- Airframe hours
- 4,074
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Roger Clyne
- Registered owner
- Roger Clyne
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2006
- Departed
- PAVB · Birchwood, AK
- Airport
- BCV · Birchwood, runway 19R, 4,010 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2005
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 16,000 total · 100 in this make and model · 200 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 16 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7257D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.