- Date
- July 24, 1989, 17:09 local (22:09 UTC)
- Place
- Milwaukee, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9103APiper PA38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890724028349A
- Case key
- 14400
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
Student pilot's misjudged aircraft handling during the landing flare/touchdown, and the cfi's inadequate supervision of the operation. These resulted in an abrupt touchdown, a subsequent loss of directional control, and the aircraft's collision with the VASI light structures.
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
During a dual instructional flight, while practicing takeoffs and landings in preparation for student solo flight, the student pilot reportedly flared too high. The CFI stated that he waited for the student to take corrective action, but the student failed to do so, and the aircraft contacted the runway abruptly. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway, and skidded into a VASI light structure before coming to a stop. The student pilot had approximately 25 hours of total flight time at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9103A
- Reported as
- Piper PA38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-82A0087
- Airframe hours
- 2,499
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Oulton, Frederick, doing business as Mitchell Aeronautical Inst.
- Registered owner
- Oulton, Frederick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 9, 1989 · 28 hours before
- Airport
- MWC · Laurence J Timmerman, runway 15L, 4,107 × 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
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 31 in this make and model · 660 as pilot in command · 235 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9103A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.