- Date
- August 8, 2007, 15:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N56366Maule M-5-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070808019609A
- Case key
- 66410
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 inadequate supervision of the student while landing, which resulted in an undershoot and an in-flight collision with an object. Factors contributing to the accident are the dual student's misjudged altitude/distance and delayed response in relinquishing the flight controls.
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 (CFI) was providing flight instruction to a certificated commercial pilot for a tailwheel endorsement under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The CFI reported that while on final approach to land, he inadvertently allowed the commercial pilot to descend prior to reaching their intended touchdown point. He said that his verbal command to initiate a go-around was not followed by the commercial pilot, and that he was unable to move the commercial pilot's hand from the throttle in order to add full engine power. The airplane drifted to the right and struck a VASI light box. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, left wing lift strut, and fuselage. The CFI noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) was providing flight instruction to a certificated commercial pilot for a tailwheel endorsement under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The CFI reported that while on final approach to land, he inadvertently allowed the commercial pilot to descend prior to reaching their intended touchdown point. He said that his verbal command to initiate a go-around was not followed by the commercial pilot, and that he was unable to move the commercial pilot's hand from the throttle in order to add full engine power. The airplane drifted to the right and struck a VASI light box. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, left wing lift strut, and fuselage. The CFI noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N56366
- Reported as
- Maule M-5-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7308C
- Airframe hours
- 2,051.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Andrew J. Haag, doing business as Above Alaska Aviation, LLC
- Registered owner
- Kerby S. Ryan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2007
- Departed
- PATK · Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- PATK · Talkeetna, AK
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
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,716 total · 41 in this make and model · 1,665 as pilot in command · 190 in the last 90 days · 86 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- TKA
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 N56366 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.