- Date
- September 5, 2001, 09:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Forks, ND
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N240NDPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010905027069A
- Case key
- 53403
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 improper flare, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
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 and objects during an attempted go around. The instructor and dual student pilot sustained no injuries. The instructor pilot reported, "Add all power for go-around. Aircraft pitch was high ... . On trying to maintain control I lossed control causing left wheel to take out runway lights and touchdown and somehow hit right [ailerons]. Came to full stop between taxiways C-1 [and] C-2. [Wrecking] nose wheel, propeller, [and] [aileron]." The instructor reported no mechanical malfunction or failure. The wind was 180 degrees at 16 knots. The student pilot stated, "We approached the runway and as we came down I flared to land[.] I flared too much and we [ballooned] up." The instructor's safety recommendation stated, "Initiate go around procedure sooner."
Factual narrative
On September 5, 2001, about 0915 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N240ND, piloted by a certified flight instructor and student pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain and objects during an attempted go around from runway 17L (3,900 feet by 75 feet, dry/concrete) at Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), near Grand Forks, North Dakota. The instructional flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The instructor and dual student pilot sustained no injuries. The local flight departed from GFK at 0800 and was attempting a go around at the time of the accident.
The instructor pilot reported:
On third approach we were high. On short final added 40 [degrees]
flaps airspeed was approximately 70-65 kts. Once over the #s
student pulled throttle to idle. Started to flare and aircraft [ballooned].
I added some power but that didn't settle aircraft. Add all power for
go-around. Aircraft pitch was high ... . On trying to
maintain control I lossed control causing left wheel to take out runway
lights and touchdown and somehow hit right [ailerons]. Came to full
stop between taxiways C-1 [and] C-2. [Wrecking] nose wheel, propeller,
[and] [aileron].
The instructor reported no mechanical malfunction or failure.
At 0913, the GFK weather was: Wind 180 degrees at 16 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition broken 12,000 feet; temperature 22 degrees C; dew point 17 degrees C; altimeter 29.78 inches of mercury.
The student pilot stated, "We approached the runway and as we came down I flared to land[.] I flared too much and we balloned up."
The instructor's safety recommendation stated, "Initiate go around procedure sooner."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N240ND
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2842049
- Airframe hours
- 2,552.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- University of North Dakota
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 16, 2001 · 49.4 hours before
- Departed
- GFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Airport
- GFK · Grand Forks Intl, runway 17L, 3,900 × 75 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 4, 2000
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 408 total · 164 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- GFK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.