CEN14LA086

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-22-108 · Oscoda, MI · December 11, 2013

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
December 11, 2013, 11:05 local (16:05 UTC)
Place
Oscoda, MI
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N5386ZPiper PA-22-108
Defining event
Landing: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 24, 2014
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration, Grand Rapids FSDO
FAA report
20131211024309A
Case key
88555

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 loss of control during landing in gusting wind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to land with gusting wind.

Findings · 5

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.

Performance/control parameters: lateral/bank controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-22-108: 1 caseAll aircraft: 390 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possiblePiper PA-22-108: 8 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Wind: gustsEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Ability to respond/compensatePiper PA-22-108: 4 casesAll aircraft: 1,199 cases
Info processing/decision: decision making/judgmentPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilotPiper PA-22-108: 7 casesAll aircraft: 3,098 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotPiper PA-22-108: 12 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

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

The student pilot was conducting a second supervised solo flight after his flight instructor had checked the weather and released him for the flight. The student pilot reported that, during his first approach for a solo landing, the touchdown was normal, but that, a second or two after touchdown, the right wing lifted up. The airplane then veered left, and the student pilot applied right rudder. The airplane continued to veer left and began to nose over. The student applied full right aileron, but the airplane continued to nose over and subsequently impacted the runway surface. Recorded wind exceeded 10 knots gusting to above 20 knots about the time of the accident.

Factual narrative

On December 11, 2013, at 1105 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-22-108, N5386Z, nosed-over and impacted runway 24 (11,800 feet by 200 feet, grooved asphalt) during landing at Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport (OSC), Oscoda, Michigan. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing and wing strut. The student pilot was uninjured. The airplane was registered to CAT Flight Training LLC and operated by an individual doing business as Comprehensive Aviation Training under 14 CFR Part 91 as an instructional flight that was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the supervised student solo flight that originated from OSC at 1010. The flight instructor, who was also the operator, stated that a Flight Service Station weather briefing through 1-800- WXBRIEF for the flight was obtained at 0905. He and the student pilot departed Iosco County Airport (6D9) East Tawas, Michigan at 0915 and flew to OSC. The flight instructor stated that he released the student for his second supervised solo at 0950 after a check of the weather. The flight instructor stated that the winds were 250 degrees at 10 knots with similar forecasts by MBS International Airport (MBS), Saginaw, Michigan and Alpena County Regional Airport (APN), Alpena, Michigan. The student pilot stated that during his first approach for a solo landing at OSC, he listened to the OSC Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) and it reported winds from 270 degrees at 11 knots, gusting 18 knots. He said that the winds were 250 degrees at 10 knots when he departed. He said that the landing had a normal touchdown, but a second or two after touchdown, the right wing lifted up. He saw the airplane nose veer left and applied right rudder. The airplane started to veer more left and began to nose-over. He applied full right aileron, but the airplane continued to nose-over and impacted the runway surface. There was one weather briefing requested by and provided to the student pilot on December 10, 2013, at 0903 for a training flight departing from 6DY to OSC. The student pilot advised that the departure time would be in 30 minutes with an estimated time en route of 2 hours. Lockheed Martin Flight Services did not provide a weather briefing for N5386Z on December 11, 2013. The Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) Amendment for APN, located 38 nautical miles northwest of OSC, issued on December 11, 2013, at 0820, valid from December 11, 2013 at 0800 to December 12, 2013 at 0700, stated in part, temporary conditions from 0800 to 1000: wind – 270 degrees at 11 knots, gust – 18 knots. The TAF for MBS, located 62.6 nautical miles south-southwest of OSC, issued on December 11, 2013, at 0632, valid from December 11, 2013 at 0700 to December 12, 2013 at 0700, stated in part, wind – 270 degrees at 14 knots. From 1100, wind – 290 degrees at 15 knots. The OSC AWOS recorded the following: At 0954: wind – 240 degrees at 11 knots At 1013: wind – 260 degrees at 12 knots At 1034: wind – 260 degrees at 15knots, gust 19 knots At 1054: wind – 270 degrees at 15 knots, gust 21 knots At 1113: wind – 270 degrees at 13 knots, gust 22 knots The operator reported that there was no mechanical malfunction/failure with the airplane.

Aircraft

Registration
N5386Z
Reported as
Piper PA-22-108
Category
Airplane
Serial number
229154
Built
1961
Airframe hours
2,475
Engine
Lycoming O-235-C1B, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · July 29, 2013
Departed
OSC · Oscoda, MI
Destination
OSC · Oscoda, MI
Airport
OSC · Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport, runway 24, 11,800 × 200 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
Student pilot
Age
23
Injuries
None
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Restraint
Lap only
Flight hours
35 total · 20 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
270° at 15 knots, gusting 21
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
18 °F, dew point 5 °F
Altimeter
30.20 inHg
Observed at
OSC

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 2, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 873 KB 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 N5386Z · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.