- Date
- May 10, 2009, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N169PADiamond Aircraft Ind DA 20-C1
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 73861
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 instructor pilot’s improper landing flare.
Findings · 2
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
During a crosswind landing demonstration to a student pilot, the instructor pilot initiated a landing flare. When the airplane's altitude rose, the instructor pilot, "held the flare and added approximately 50-100 rpm to ease the airplane" down to the runway. The airplane then "experienced a sudden descent," and the instructor pilot attempted a go-around; however, the airplane's left wing and nose impacted the runway, causing substantial damage to the airplane.
Factual narrative
During a crosswind landing demonstration to a student pilot, the instructor pilot initiated a landing flare. When the airplane's altitude rose, the instructor pilot, "held the flare and added approximately 50-100 rpm to ease the airplane" down to the runway. The airplane then "experienced a sudden descent", and the instructor pilot attempted a go-around; however, the airplane's left wing and nose impacted the runway causing substantial damage to the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N169PA
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 20-C1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0270
- Airframe hours
- 1,256
- Engine
- Continental IO-240, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying Monsters Inc
- Registered owner
- Flying Monsters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KSSF · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- KSSF · San Antonio, TX
- Airport
- KSSF · Stinson Municipal Airport, runway 14, 4,128 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 475 total · 22 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 15 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KSSF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 684 KB in all.