ATL91LA028

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-28-180 · Humboldt, TN · December 8, 1990

Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
December 8, 1990, 09:45 local (15:45 UTC)
Place
Humboldt, TN
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N7634WPiper PA-28-180
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 30, 1992
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19901208053379A
Case key
8361

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. A factor was the student's lack of recent experience.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Lack of recent total experiencePilot in commandFactor
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding - roll
Terrain condition - berm

Analysis

The student pilot reported that he lost control of the airplane during landing and veered off of the runway. The flight was his first solo. Control was regained but the airplane collided with a dirt berm which was left from the construction of a drainage ditch. The airplane then nosed over. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions. His report listed 17 total flight hours within the previous 90 days and no flight hours within 30 days of the accident.

Aircraft

Registration
N7634W
Reported as
Piper PA-28-180
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-1603
Engine
Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Londe Air Service Incorporated
Departed
M53
Destination
M53
Airport
M53 · Hummboldt Munc., runway 22, 4,000 × 75 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

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
44
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Flight hours
17 total · 17 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
230° at 7 knots
Visibility
15 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
43 °F, dew point 28 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
MKL, 10 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.