- Date
- June 29, 1994, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Easton, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9313SBeech C23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 23, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 8948
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 flight instructor's inadequate supervision, resulting in a hard landing and a subsequent collapse of the nose gear. Also causal to the accident, was the student pilot's improper raising of the wing flaps during the landing flare.
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 student and instructor were practicing a simulated short field approach to runway 22. During the landing flare, the student pilot retracted the flaps and the airplane landed hard. The nose wheel collapsed and the airplane came to rest on the runway. Postaccident examination of the aircraft by the FAA, revealed no preaccident mechanical failures or deficiencies.
Factual narrative
On June 29, 1994, about 1100 eastern daylight time, a Beech C23, N9313S, was substantially damaged during landing at the Easton/Newnam Field Airport, Easton, Maryland. The Certified Flight Instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The flight was being conducted under CFR 14 Part 91.
The local area instructional flight was being operated by Maryland Air of Easton. In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the flight instructor stated,
...On final approach to runway 22, the student pilot had established a stabilized approach with full flaps, correct approach speed and power setting, and a constant rate of descent. After clearing the 50' obstacle (simulated) and preparing to flare for landing, the student pilot retracted the flaps. He immediately realized his error and re-extended the flaps, his hand not having left the flap mechanism, while I, closely followed by Mr. Hafer [(the student pilot)], reached to the throttle to add power. However, the airplane had been too close to the ground to prevent its rapid sinking to the runway, and consequent hard landing during which the nose gear collapsed....
The airplane came to rest nose down on the runway.
Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, revealed no discrepancies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9313S
- Reported as
- Beech C23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M1648
- Airframe hours
- 3,024
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4J, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Maryland Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 25, 1994 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- ESN
- Destination
- ESN
- Airport
- ESN · Easton/Newnam Field, runway 22, 5,511 × 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
- 39
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 38 in this make and model · 522 as pilot in command · 122 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ESN