- Date
- February 13, 1990, 17:25 local (22:25 UTC)
- Place
- Harbor Springs, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6704WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900213003259A
- Case key
- 14632
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 failure to maintian adequate directional control of the aircraft. The unfavorable wind was a related factor.
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 student pilot stated the aircraft had encountered turbulence during his first approach to the runway, so he performed a go-around. During a second attempt, he made a steeper than normal approach and the aircraft touched down 'past the numbers.' The pilot reported that as the airplane decelerated on the runway, it 'caught a wind gust' and veered off the left side of the runway. The aircraft skidded across an icy area and impacted a plowed ridge of snow located approximately 25 feet from the left edge of the runway. The student pilot reported a total flight time of 15.7 hours, of which .5 hours were solo flight time. The accident occurred during his second solo flight. The student pilot reported that the runway was clear, dry and in good condition, and surface winds were estimated at 5 to 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6704W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-20815
- Airframe hours
- 3,384
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Stevens, Harris
- Registered owner
- Aerodrome Flying Club, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 8, 1989 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- D87 · Harbor Springs, MI
- Airport
- D87 · Harbor Springs, runway 28, 4,157 × 60 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16 total · 16 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.