CEN15CA165

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA 28-181 · Lee's Summit, MO · March 1, 2015

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
March 1, 2015, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
Place
Lee's Summit, MO
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N3575XPiper PA 28-181
Defining event
Takeoff: Aerodynamic stall/spin
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 17, 2015
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration, Kansas City FSDO
FAA report
20150301003179A
Case key
90833

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 pilot-receiving-instruction's excessive pitch control during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall shortly after liftoff and the subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the flight crew's decision to have the flight instructor separately control the throttle while the pilot-receiving-instruction manipulated the flight controls, which resulted in inadequate coordination between the flight crew during the attempted stall recovery.

Findings · 6

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: pitch controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operationPiper PA-28-181: 6 casesAll aircraft: 526 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: angle of attackAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-28-181: 7 casesAll aircraft: 990 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotPiper PA-28-181: 53 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Communication (personnel): lack of communicationPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotPiper PA-28-181: 1 caseAll aircraft: 84 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 pilot-receiving-instruction reported that the purpose of the flight was to receive a checkout in the flying club airplane. After completing three uneventful takeoffs and landings, the flight instructor asked the pilot-receiving-instruction to perform a simulated soft-field takeoff from a high-altitude airport. The pilot-receiving-instruction had not performed the requested maneuver previously, which was described as a soft-field takeoff at 50-percent engine power to simulate the atmospheric conditions of a high-altitude airport. Before attempting the takeoff, both pilots agreed that the pilot-receiving-instruction would manipulate the flight controls and that the throttle would be separately controlled by the flight instructor. The pilot-receiving-instruction reported that during the takeoff, shortly after becoming airborne, while still in ground-effect, the airplane encountered an aerodynamic stall. The pilot-receiving-instruction briefly reduced airplane pitch to recover from the aerodynamic stall, but as the airplane drifted toward the right side of the runway he subsequently increased yoke backpressure to keep the airplane airborne. The pilot-receiving-instruction reported that the airplane encountered a second aerodynamic stall after he increased airplane pitch. The airplane subsequently drifted left, crossing back over the runway, before the airplane landed along the left side of the runway. The flight was terminated and the aircraft inspected for damage. The airplane exhibited damage to the tail skid, tail tie-down ring, left wingtip, the nose and left main landing gear, and the propeller. An additional examination established that the aft fuselage bulkhead had sustained substantial damage when the tail struck the runway. The pilot-receiving-instruction reported there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor reported that the engine power had been set at 2,100 rpm to simulate the available engine power while operating at a high-altitude airport. He reported that the pilot-receiving-instruction had used excessive pitch control inputs during the initial takeoff roll to keep the nose wheel off the runway, the airplane veered to the right before coming airborne, and that the airplane encountered an aerodynamic stall upon liftoff. The flight instructor reported that the airplane subsequently bounced, drifted to the left, and eventually landed along the left side of the runway. The flight crew's decision to have the flight instructor separately control the throttle during the accident takeoff likely prevented the pilot-receiving-instruction from adequately recovering from the initial aerodynamic stall. Additionally, following the initial aerodynamic stall, there was likely inadequate coordination between the flight crew to reestablish control of the airplane before it impacted the ground.

Factual narrative

The pilot-receiving-instruction reported that the purpose of the flight was to receive a checkout in the flying club airplane. After completing three uneventful takeoffs and landings, the flight instructor asked the pilot-receiving-instruction to perform a simulated soft-field takeoff from a high-altitude airport. The pilot-receiving-instruction had not performed the requested maneuver previously, which was described as a soft-field takeoff at 50-percent engine power to simulate the atmospheric conditions of a high-altitude airport. Before attempting the takeoff, both pilots agreed that the pilot-receiving-instruction would manipulate the flight controls and that the throttle would be separately controlled by the flight instructor. The pilot-receiving-instruction reported that during the takeoff, shortly after becoming airborne, while still in ground-effect, the airplane encountered an aerodynamic stall. The pilot-receiving-instruction briefly reduced airplane pitch to recover from the aerodynamic stall, but as the airplane drifted toward the right side of the runway he subsequently increased yoke backpressure to keep the airplane airborne. The pilot-receiving-instruction reported that the airplane encountered a second aerodynamic stall after he increased airplane pitch. The airplane subsequently drifted left, crossing back over the runway, before the airplane landed along the left side of the runway. The flight was terminated and the aircraft inspected for damage. The airplane exhibited damage to the tail skid, tail tie-down ring, left wingtip, the nose and left main landing gear, and the propeller. An additional examination established that the aft fuselage bulkhead had sustained substantial damage when the tail struck the runway. The pilot-receiving-instruction reported there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.The flight instructor reported that the engine power had been set at 2,100 rpm to simulate the available engine power while operating at a high-altitude airport. He reported that the pilot-receiving-instruction had used excessive pitch control inputs during the initial takeoff roll to keep the nose wheel off the runway, the airplane veered to the right before coming airborne, and that the airplane encountered an aerodynamic stall upon liftoff. The flight instructor reported that the airplane subsequently bounced, drifted to the left, and eventually landed along the left side of the runway.

Aircraft

Registration
N3575X
Reported as
Piper PA 28-181
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-8090199
Built
1979
Airframe hours
8,605
Engine
Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Wing Flying Club, Inc.
Registered owner
Wing Flying Club, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · January 1, 2015
Departed
LXT · Lee's Summit, MO
Destination
LXT · Lee's Summit, MO
Airport
LXT · Lee's Summit Municipal Airport, runway 36, 4,016 × 75 ft, concrete
Equipment
Auto-pilot, Stall warning system

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
Pilot
Age
31
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
February 16, 2015
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
112 total · 6 in this make and model · 79 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Role
Flight instructor
Age
77
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Flight engineer, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
April 13, 2013
Seat
Right
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
24,945 total · 14,438 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
310° at 6 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
3,000 ft overcast
Temperature
32 °F, dew point 19 °F
Altimeter
30.37 inHg
Observed at
LXT

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 2, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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 N3575X · 1

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