- Date
- April 2, 1989, 12:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Allegan, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9504TPiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890402007849A
- Case key
- 14335
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
Improper use of flight controls by the student pilot, which resulted in his loss of directional control and an inadvertent ground swerve; and the instructor pilot's (cfi's) inadequate supervision. Factors related to the accident were: the crosswind condition, the student pilot's lack of total experience, the cfi's lack of experience in the type of operation, and soft terrain.
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 CFI reported that the dual student pilot initiated the takeoff roll with aileron into the wind (left aileron), but that he relaxed aileron pressure prematurely. When instructed to increase left aileron, the student reacted by applying left rudder & left brake. At that time, the acft was estimated to be traveling about 45 to 50 mph. The acft swerved to the left & the CFI was unable to regain directional control. Subsequently, the acft went off the left side of the rwy, encountered 'soft grass' & was damaged. The student had only 4 hrs of flt time. The CFI had obtained his CFI rating on 12/20/88 & had accumulated 82 hrs of instruction since that time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9504T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0119
- Airframe hours
- 1,770
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Roblin Enterprises, Inc., doing business as Grandpa'S Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Roblin Enterprises Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 9, 1989 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- 35D
- Airport
- 35D · Padgham Field, runway 28, 3,500 × 75 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 591 total · 53 in this make and model · 539 as pilot in command · 71 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 24 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.