- Date
- August 8, 2020, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4964SPiper PA28R
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200808013879A
- Case key
- 101769
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 did not maintain a proper approach path and landing flare during a landing with a tailwind, which resulted in a hard landing and damaged landing gear. During the subsequent landing with damaged landing gear, the flight instructor lost directional control which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with objects.
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.
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 flight instructor was demonstrating a short approach and touch-and-go landing to the student pilot in a complex airplane. During the final approach, the flight instructor was unable to correct for a quartering tailwind and the airplane landed sideways on the left main landing gear. The flight instructor stated that "[the landing] felt a bit unusual, but the approach had been stable and the landing wasn't that bad..." The airplane took off and the landing gear would not retract. After troubleshooting the problem and declaring an emergency, the flight instructor landed the airplane with an unsafe landing gear indication. After touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the flight instructor lost directional control. The airplane impacted taxiway lights and came to rest upright adjacent to the runway. Postaccident examination showed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Further examination of the left main landing gear and wing revealed overload damage to the landing gear wing attachment. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor was demonstrating a short approach and touch-and-go landing to the student pilot in a complex airplane. During the final approach, the flight instructor was unable to correct for a quartering tailwind and the airplane landed sideways on the left main landing gear. The flight instructor stated that "[the landing] felt a bit unusual, but the approach had been stable and the landing wasn't that bad..." The airplane took off and the landing gear would not retract. After troubleshooting the problem and declaring an emergency, the flight instructor landed the airplane with an unsafe landing gear indication. After touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the flight instructor lost directional control. The airplane impacted taxiway lights and came to rest upright adjacent to the runway. Postaccident examination showed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Further examination of the left main landing gear and wing revealed overload damage to the landing gear wing attachment. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4964S
- Reported as
- Piper PA28R (200)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-35684
- Built
- 1970
- Airframe hours
- 3,816
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 11, 2020 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Destination
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Airport
- APA · Centennial Airport, runway 17L, 10,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, 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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 15, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,428 total · 140 in this make and model · 1,381 as pilot in command · 371 in the last 90 days · 104 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 230 total · 0 in this make and model · 136 as pilot in command · 67 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- APA
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 3, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 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.