- Date
- November 25, 1997, 11:55 local (16:55 UTC)
- Place
- Lawrenceville, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N39995Piper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971125034959A
- Case key
- 3948
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
failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane, during the landing roll.
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
After completing two touch-and-go landings, the student intended to make the last landing a full stop landing. After touchdown on the third landing, the student believed the airplane was 'tipping' to the right. In an attempt to correct for this right 'tipping', the student applied left rudder. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and collided with an embankment. According to an air traffic controller on the field, the airplane touched down and began to veer steadily to the left, approximately 30 to 45 degrees from runway heading. The airplane went off the runway approximately 1,500 to 2,000 feet from the approach end of the runway.
Factual narrative
On November 25, 1997, about 1155 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N39995, collided with a dirt embankment following a loss of control during landing at the Gwinnett County-Briscoe Field Airport, Lawrenceville, Georgia. The airplane was operated by The Flight School, Inc., under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the solo, instructional flight. There were no injuries to the student pilot, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was the Gwinnett County-Briscoe Field, about 1000, on the same day.
According to the student pilot, he had completed 11 touch and go landings with his instructor earlier that day. He then was completing three landings as his first solo flight. After completing the first two touch and go landings, the student intended to make the last landing a full stop landing. After touchdown of the third landing, the student believed the airplane was "tipping" to the right. In an attempt to correct for this right "tipping", the student applied left rudder. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and collided with an embankment. The right wing was twisted and buckled, resulting in substantial damage.
The flight instructor of the student pilot was not able to see the airplane clearly, but stated that he did see it veer off the left side of the runway.
According to the Air Traffic Controller on the field, the airplane touched down and began to veer steadily to the left, approximately 30 to 45 degrees from runway heading. The airplane left the runway approximately 1,500 to 2,000 feet from the approach end of the runway. The controller stated it did not appear that an attempt was made to correct the direction of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39995
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-791-6016
- Airframe hours
- 6,709
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- The Flight School, Inc
- Registered owner
- Mark Chitwood
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 15, 1997 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- LZU
- Airport
- LZU · Gwinnett County-Briscoe, runway 7, 6,000 × 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
- 27
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 21 total · 21 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LZU, 1 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.