- Date
- February 8, 2003, 11:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pagosa Springs, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6555RBeech C23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20030208002249A
- Case key
- 56463
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. Contributing factors were the student pilot's improper flare, the instructor's inadequate remedial actions, and terrain conditions.
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
After the airplane took off and climbed about 60 feet, the instructor simulated a power loss by reducing the power to idle. The student made a "hard landing" and the airplane began drifting to the left. The instructor assumed control of the airplane but was unable to realign it with the runway. The airplane went off the left side of the runway and the left wheel broke off. It crossed a small ditch, shearing off the landing gear.
Factual narrative
On February 8, 2003, approximately 1145 mountain standard time, a Beech C23, N6555R, registered to and operated by the flight instructor, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain following a hard landing at Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local instructional flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Pagosa Springs approximately 0930.
According to the flight instructor, after practicing stalls, steep turns, and simulated engine failures, they flew to Durango, Colorado, landed and refueled. They departed and returned to Pagosa Springs to practice traffic pattern emergencies. Runway 19 was the active runway. To simulate a power loss, the instructor reduced power to idle when the airplane was on the downwind leg, and the student pilot landed without incident. After practicing several other emergencies, they took off again. When the airplane had climbed about 60 feet, the instructor reduced power to idle to simulated a power loss on takeoff. The student made a "hard landing" and the airplane began drifting to the left. The instructor assumed control of the airplane but was unable to realign it with the runway. The airplane went off the left side of the runway and the left wheel broke off. It crossed a small ditch, sheared off the landing gear. The airplane collapsed, damaged both flaps, buckled the firewall, and bent the right rear horizontal stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6555R
- Reported as
- Beech C23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-1592
- Airframe hours
- 3,933
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4J, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Brad L. Handy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 2002 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- 2V1 · Pagosa Springs, CO
- Destination
- 2V1 · Pagosa Springs, CO
- Airport
- 2V1 · Stevens Field, runway 19, 8,500 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- February 23, 2002
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 547 total · 89 in this make and model · 503 as pilot in command · 101 in the last 90 days · 54 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14 total · 14 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 4, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 552 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.