- Date
- July 25, 1996, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bessemer, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9167TPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960725020209A
- Case key
- 3748
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 dual student's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during landing, and the flight instructor's failure to properly supervise the flight.
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 certified flight instructor and dual student were practicing touch and go landings at the airport. During an attempted landing, the dual student released the flight controls during the landing roll. The certified flight instructor did not regain control of the airplane before it veered off the right side of the runway. The airplane rolled down a ravine into a wooded area, and collided with trees.
Factual narrative
On July 25, 1996, at 1430 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N9167T, veered off the right side of runway 23 during an attempted touch and go landing at the Bessemer Airport, Bessemer, Alabama. The flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane received substantial damage; the certified flight instructor and student were not injured. The flight departed Birmingham, Alabama, at 1330.
According to the operator, the certified flight instructor and dual student were practicing touch and go landings at the Bessemer Airport. During an attempted landing, the flight instructor stated that the dual student released the flight controls during the landing roll. The certified flight instructor did not regain control of the airplane before it veered off the right side of the runway. The airplane rolled down a ravine into a wooded area, and collided with trees. No mechanical problems were reported by the pilot with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9167T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8009011
- Airframe hours
- 2,100
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Snap Account Services
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 12, 1996 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- BHM · Birmingham, AL
- Airport
- 2A3 · Bessemer, runway 23, 5,700 × 100 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
- 48
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 5,400 total · 200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BHM, 30 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.