- Date
- May 5, 2013, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Soldotna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4772MPiper PA-11
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO (Airworthiness)
- FAA report
- 20130505006899A
- Case key
- 86837
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 pilot during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor was providing primary flight instruction to a student pilot in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The instructor reported that when the student pilot departed from the 5,000-foot-long, dry, paved runway, the airplane drifted to the right just after becoming airborne. Unable to correct the drift, the airplane continued off the right side of the runway, and over an area of grass-covered terrain. The instructor said that the student pilot then closed the engine throttle and switched the engine magnetos to the off position, and the airplane subsequently landed hard on the right main landing gear wheel. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor was providing primary flight instruction to a student pilot in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The instructor reported that as the student pilot was departing from a 5,000 foot-long, dry paved runway, the airplane drifted to the right just after becoming airborne. Unable to correct the drift, the airplane continued off the right side of the runway, and over an area of grass-covered terrain. The instructor said that the student pilot then closed the engine throttle and switched the engine magnetos to the off position, and the airplane subsequently landed hard on the right main landing gear wheel. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4772M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-287
- Airframe hours
- 2,492
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2012
- Departed
- PASX · Soldotna, AK
- Destination
- PASX · Soldotna, AK
- Airport
- PASX · Soldotna Airport, runway 07, 5,000 × 132 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,284 total · 37 in this make and model · 1,211 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 39 total · 39 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 28, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.