- Date
- November 5, 2001, 13:18 local (19:18 UTC)
- Place
- Decatur, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4576HPiper PA-15
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Springfield FSDO
- FAA report
- 20011105036759A
- Case key
- 53844
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 excessive braking performed by the flight instructor.
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 flight instructor stated that during the landing rollout he applied brake pressure and, "...the brakes grabbed and caused the aircraft to go over on its nose immediately, stopping immediately, with the nose of the aircraft resting on the ground, tail in the air."
Factual narrative
On November 5, 2001, at 1318 central standard time, a Piper PA-15, N4576H, sustained substantial damage during an on-ground collision with the runway surface during a landing rollout on runway 12 (6,799 feet by 150 feet, dry/asphalt) at the Decatur Airport, Decatur, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and dual student reported no injuries. The local flight originated from Decatur, Illinois.
According to Decatur Airport officials, the airplane was cleared for a stop-and-go landing on runway 12, and during the landing roll the aircraft nosed down impacting the runway surface.
According to the CFI's written statement, the purpose of the instructional flight was to practice stop-and-go landings. The CFI reported he was demonstrating to the student a normal approach and a full stall landing. The CFI stated that during the landing rollout he applied brake pressure and, "...the brakes grabbed and caused the aircraft to go over on its nose immediately, stopping immediately, with the nose of the aircraft resting on the ground, tail in the air."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4576H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-15
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15-350
- Airframe hours
- 3,565
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Vagabond Flight Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 2001 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- DEC · Decatur, IL
- Destination
- DEC · Decatur, IL
- Airport
- DEC · Decatur Airport, runway 12, 6,799 × 150 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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- June 13, 2001
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 30 in this make and model · 320 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13 total · 2 in this make and model · 13 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- DEC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.