- Date
- March 11, 2009, 19:06 local (Mar 12, 2009, 01:06 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8245HBeech 58
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090311001949A
- Case key
- 73498
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 student pilot's improper landing flare and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Shortly after takeoff in the twin-engine airplane, the flight instructor announced a simulated engine failure and expected the student pilot to land on the remaining runway. The student pilot responded by reducing both engines to idle power, but did not pitch the airplane's nose down enough to maintain sufficient airspeed. The flight instructor responded by lowering the airplane's nose to the proper attitude before releasing the controls. Moments later the flight instructor realized that the student pilot was not arresting the rate of descent and was unable to react in time to prevent a hard landing. The airplane's fuselage and right wing sustained structural damage during the accident.
Factual narrative
Shortly after takeoff in the twin-engine airplane, the flight instructor announced a simulated engine failure and expected the student pilot to land on the remaining runway. The student pilot responded by reducing both engines to idle power, but did not pitch the airplane's nose down enough to maintain sufficient airspeed. The flight instructor responded by lowering the airplane's nose to the proper attitude before releasing the controls. Moments later the flight instructor realized that the student pilot was not arresting the rate of descent and was unable to react in time to prevent a hard landing. The airplane's fuselage and right wing sustained structural damage during the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8245H
- Reported as
- Beech 58
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TH-1635
- Airframe hours
- 14,224
- Engines
- Cont Motor IO-550 SERIES, 300 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor IO-550 SERIES, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- San Juan Pilot Training Inc
- Registered owner
- San Juan Pilot Training Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 21, 2008
- Departed
- DRO · Durango, CO
- Destination
- DRO · Durango, CO
- Airport
- DRO · Durango-La Plata County, runway 21, 9,201 × 150 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 22, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,750 total · 80 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 27, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 226 total · 5 in this make and model · 159 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8245H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.