- Date
- November 22, 1997, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Janesville, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8315SPiper PA-28RT-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 30, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971122046089A
- Case key
- 10787
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 dual student's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point, and the instructor's failure to provide adequate supervision of the flight. Factors associated with the accident were: inadequate altitude, the student's diverted attention, the snowbank, and the runway light.
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
While performing a simulated engine failure in the traffic pattern, the flight instructor (CFI) demonstrated the function of the landing gear override to the student, who was also a CFI. While turning final approach, the student lowered the landing gear handle to the down position. When he looked up he noticed the airplane was too low, so he added power. As he was adding power, the right main landing gear contacted a snowbank located 18 inches from the approach end of the runway. The airplane then contacted the edge of the runway and veered to the right where it contacted a runway light.
Factual narrative
On November 22, 1997, at 1100 central standard time (cst), a Piper PA-28RT-201T, N8315S, operated by two certified flight instructors collided with the terrain when it undershot runway 22 at the Rock County Airport, Janesville, Wisconsin. The purpose of the flight was for one flight instructor to check out the other one in this airplane. The airplane was substantially damaged. Neither pilot was injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident. The flight originated from Grayslake, Illinois, at 0930 cst.
The pilot-in-command (PIC) reported that following their departure from Grayslake they performed basic airwork, two ILS approaches, two touch and go's and a full stop landing from a simulated engine out. They then decided to perform one more simulated engine out landing. The PIC stated that once in the traffic pattern he demonstrated the landing gear "override" feature to the pilot in the left seat (student). He reported that on base leg the "override" was disengaged and the landing gear extended. The student placed the landing gear handle in the down position and when he looked up he noticed the altitude of the airplane was low as they were turning onto a "very short final." The PIC stated the student overcorrected as the right wing was low. At the same time the student was adding power to extend the approach the right landing gear contacted a snowbank followed by the edge of the runway. The PIC reported that the snowbank was about 18 inches from the edge of the runway.
The right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid off the right side and contacted a runway light upon touchdown.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8315S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201T (PA-28RT-20)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-8131044
- Airframe hours
- 5,600
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-FB, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cardinal Aircraft Service, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 16, 1997 · 92 hours before
- Departed
- C81 · Grayslake, IL
- Destination
- JVL
- Airport
- JVL · Rock County, runway 22, 6,701 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,430 total · 228 in this make and model · 1,364 as pilot in command · 77 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft overcast
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JVL
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 N8315S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.