- Date
- March 16, 2001, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Port Huron, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Other
- Aircraft
- N6532WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 2, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010316037979A
- Case key
- 51955
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 not maintaing a proper glide path during the simulated forced landing. Factors were flight instructor's inadequate supervision and the wind gusts.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain during a simulated forced landing approach. The pilot and flight instructor reported no injuries. The pilot stated, "After extensive training in flight the last maneuver was to be 'Simulated Engine Failure to a Power-Off Landing on Rwy. 04 at PHN'. Three quarters of the way down wind for runway 04@1400 MSL, the flight instructor pulled the throttle to an idle setting. The pilot immediately established best glide speed of 85 m.p.h., turning directly to runway 04. Approximately 75' AGL wind sheer was encountered. The student immediately responded full throttle and nose pitch down. However, the aircraft impacted the ground causing damage to the airframe. Both pilot and CFI walked to terminal to report the incident." The pilot stated that no mechanical malfunction failure occurred. The weather was: Wind 030 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 19knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 0 degrees C; dew point -4 degrees C; altimeter 29.92 inches of mercury.
Factual narrative
On March 16, 2001, about 1015 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N6532W, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain during a simulated forced landing approach to runway 4 at Saint Clair County International Airport (PHN), near Port Huron, Michigan. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot and flight instructor reported no injuries. The local flight review flight had departed from PHN about 0915 and was performing a simulated forced landing at PHN at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated, "N6532W departed PHN at 9:15a.m. Friday for a biennial flight review. After extensive training in flight the last maneuver was to be 'Simulated Engine Failure to a Power-Off Landing on Rwy. 04 at PHN'. Three quarters of the way down wind for runway 04@1400 MSL, the flight instructor pulled the throttle to an idle setting. The pilot immediately established best glide speed of 85 m.p.h., turning directly to runway 04. Approximately 75' AGL wind sheer was encountered. The student immediately responded full throttle and nose pitch down. However, the aircraft impacted the ground causing damage to the airframe. Both pilot and CFI walked to terminal to report the incident." The pilot stated that no mechanical malfunction failure occurred.
At 0900, the PHN weather was: Wind 030 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 19knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 0 degrees C; dew point -4 degrees C; altimeter 29.92 inches of mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6532W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-20611
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jon J. Fournier
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PHN · Port Huron, MI
- Destination
- PHN
- Airport
- PHN · St Clair County Intl, runway 4, 5,103 × 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 3, 1999
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 562 total · 540 in this make and model
- Role
- Check pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 30, 1999
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 450 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- PHN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.