- Date
- September 3, 2011, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N242BCAmerican Champion 8GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110903023979A
- Case key
- 82014
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 certified flight instructor’s improper flare during a simulated emergency landing.
Findings · 1
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
A certified flight instructor (CFI) was providing instruction to a private pilot in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. During the CFI’s demonstration of a simulated emergency landing, the airplane made a hard landing, and the right wing struck the runway surface. A postaccident examination revealed that the rear spar was substantially damaged during the hard landing.
Factual narrative
A certified flight instructor (CFI) was providing instruction to a private pilot in a tailwheel equipped airplane. During the CFI’s demonstration of a simulated emergency landing, the airplane's speed got slow and made a hard landing with the right main landing gear and right wing striking the runway surface. The airplane was then flown back to the private pilot’s home airfield without further incident. A postaccident examination of the damaged wing by the airplane’s manufacturer, revealed that the rear spar was substantially damaged during the hard landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N242BC
- Reported as
- American Champion 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 534-2010
- Airframe hours
- 47
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C1G, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 3, 2010
- Departed
- T67 · Hicks, TX
- Destination
- T67 · Hicks, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- AFW · Alliance, runway 34L, 8,220 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 30, 2010
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,400 total · 12 in this make and model · 2,300 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 16, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 109 total · 10 in this make and model · 16 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.75 inHg
- Observed at
- AFW
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 8, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.
Other investigations on N242BC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.