- Date
- February 18, 2005, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Holly Ridge, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1476APiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Greensboro FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050218002449A
- Case key
- 61073
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 CFI's improper use of the rudder control and normal braking during the landing roll that resulted in the collapse of the nose gear assembly.
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 airplane collided with terrain during landing roll at the Top Sail Airpark, in Top Sail, North Carolina. According to the CFI, after departing Top Sail Airpark for a short engine break-in flight they headed back to land. He stated the wind was strong and he decided to land with a little more airspeed. He said they floated down the runway and touched down about midfield. He asked the student to apply the brakes, and he said he was. The CFI said he realized that they were not going to stop before the end of the runway and turned the airplane to the left towards a small field. The student pilot applied left rudder at the same time and the nose gear collapsed and the airplane's right wing struck the ground substantially damaging the wing.
Factual narrative
On February 18, 2005, at 1330 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-22, N1476A, registered to the student pilot and operated by the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), nose gear collapsed during landing roll at the Top Sail Airpark, in Holly Ridge, North Carolina. The instructional flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local training flight. The CFI and student pilot were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated in Holly Ridge, North Carolina on February 18, 2005, at 1300.
According to the CFI, after departing Top Sail Airpark for a short engine break-in flight they returned to the airpark for an approach to and landing on runway 21. He stated the winds were strong and he decided to land with a little more airspeed. He said they flew down the runway and touched down about mid-field. After landing, the CFI instructed the student pilot to apply the brakes. The CFI said he realized that they were not going to stop before the end of the runway, and elected to turned the airplane to the left towards a small field. The student pilot applied left rudder at the same time and the nose gear collapsed and the airplane's right wing struck the ground.
A review of runway information showed that runway 21 has a turf, 3200 feet long and 60 feet wide surface. The airplane rested on the left side of the landing runway at the departure end. According to performance data based upon optimum landing conditions at gross weight, the PA-22 requires about 650 feet of landing roll. According to the pilot, the airplane touched down about 1600 from the approach end of the 3200 foot long runway. The CFI did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane during the approach and subsequent landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1476A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-383
- Airframe hours
- 3,436
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Alan Lee Lyons
- Registered owner
- Christopher Batterman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 6, 2005 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- ON1 · Holly Ridge, NC
- Destination
- ON1
- Airport
- 01NC · Top Soil Airpark, runway 21, 3,200 × 60 ft, grass/turf
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- January 28, 2005
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,207 total · 29 in this make and model · 1,164 as pilot in command · 134 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- CLT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.