# NTSB ATL94LA151: Piper PA-23-160, N4482P, Columbus, GA, July 20, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 19, 1994, 21:00 local (Jul 20, 1994, 01:00 UTC) - Place: Columbus, GA - Coordinates: 32.55083, -84.920074 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.5508&lon=-84.9201&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 24, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 3428 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL94LA151 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/3428/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL94LA151 ## Probable cause THE DUAL STUDENT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY FLARE THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE LANDING. FACTORS WERE THE DUSK LIGHT CONDITIONS, AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE DUAL STUDENT. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - light condition - dusk (contributing factor) - flare - improper, dual student (cause) - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) ## Analysis THE DUAL STUDENT (A PRIVATE PILOT WITH SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING) WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT DUSK, WITH A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IN THE RIGHT SEAT. DURING THE LAST LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE MAIN SPARS WERE BENT BEYOND REPAIR, FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM BOTH ENGINE GASCOLATORS, WING SKIN WAS WRINKLED, AND THE EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER WAS JARRED FROM ITS MOUNT AND HAD ACTIVATED. ## Factual narrative On July 19, 1994, at 2100 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-160, N4482P, landed hard at the Columbus Metropolitan Airport, in Columbus, Georgia. The commercial flight instructor and his student were not injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The aircraft was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by Corporate Air Transport of Columbus. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the local, instructional flight. The flight originated at 2030. The flight instructor reported that after practicing some touch and go landings, his student was at the controls during the final landing. The approach proceeded normally, but the last landing was "firm." During a post-flight inspection of the aircraft, fuel was observed leaking from the aircraft. An internal inspection revealed that both main wing spars were bent. The flight instructor reported to the operator that the landing was "hard." A mechanic inspected the aircraft the following morning, and found both wing spars damaged beyond repair. All landing gear down lock switches were hanging from their wires, and fuel was leaking from the gascolators of both engines. The emergency locator transmitter was thrown from its position in the tail, and had activated. The landing gear warning horn activated when the electrical master switch was turned on. Several rivets were sheared, and the skin was wrinkled on both wings. The dual student had logged about 2,453 hours in single engine airplanes, and about 6 hours in multi-engine airplanes. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4482P](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4482P-1994-10-03), registration cancelled 1994-10-03, S/N 232004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23-160 - Registry model: [Piper PA-23-160](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-160) (registry code 7102304) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 23-2004 - Airframe hours: 5000 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320-B3B 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Corporate Air Transport - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 15, 1994, 46 hours before - Airport: CSG, Columbus Metropolitan, runway 5, 6,998 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 1,450 total, 30 in this make and model, 1,240 as pilot in command, 190 in the last 90 days, 45 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 100° at 2 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: LSF, 11 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19940719021169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940719021169A), Jul 19, 1994: Piper PA23160, Columbus, GA, Substantial damage. Student improper flare. Dusk landing caused hard impact. Bent wing spars. Fuel leaks and wrinkled skin. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.