- Date
- May 11, 2011, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Dowagiac, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9321SBeech B24R
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-South Bend FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110511009519A
- Case key
- 79270
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 failure to maintain an appropriate glide path and airspeed during the landing approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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
While demonstrating a power-off spot landing to a student, the certified flight instructor (CFI) recognized that the airplane would not make it to the 1,000 foot runway markings he was aiming for, but felt that he would make it to the runway. He allowed the airplane to get too low on the approach at too slow an airspeed. When the airplane was about 30 feet from the runway end at 10 feet above the ground, he began to add engine power, but the airplane stalled and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left landing gear. The CFI reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor (CFI) was demonstrating a power off spot landing to the dual student. The student held a commercial pilot certificate and was observing the maneuver at the time of the accident. The CFI stated that he made one attempted power off spot landing that ended in a go-around because the airplane would not have made it to the runway. He stated that on the second attempt, he again would not make it to the 1,000 foot runway markings he was aiming for, but felt that he would make it to the runway. The CFI stated that he started to add engine power when the airplane was about 30 feet from the runway end and 10 feet above the ground, but it "dropped into the sod." The airplane's left landing gear separated from the wing, and the left wing separated from the fuselage. The CFI reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9321S
- Reported as
- Beech B24R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MC-341
- Airframe hours
- 4,380
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 13, 2010
- Departed
- BEH · Benton Harbor, MI
- Destination
- BEH · Benton Harbor, MI
- Airport
- C91 · Dowagiac Municipal, runway 27, 4,700 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 3, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,518 total · 250 in this make and model · 3,249 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 755 total · 12 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 8 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- BEH, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.