- Date
- June 3, 1999, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4273EPiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990603006359A
- Case key
- 46472
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
Inadequate remedial action by the pilot in command (CFI) after the student failed to maintain control of the aircraft during the final stages of a visual approach to land. Factors were gusting crosswinds and the flight instructor's lack of total instructional experience.
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 conducting a visual approach to land in gusting crosswinds, the dual student failed to maintain control of the aircraft. The flight instructor, who had 25 hours flight experience as an instructor, attempted to perform a go-around and the aircraft impacted the ground beside the runway of intended landing.
Factual narrative
On June 3, 1999, at 1730 central daylight time, a Piper PA-38-112, N4273E, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the ground during a go-around at May Field, Houston, Texas. The certified flight instructor and his student were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local area instructional flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from David Wayne Hooks Field, Spring, Texas, at 1620.
According to the flight instructor, the student was flying and a crosswind caused him to lose control. During the attempted go-around, the aircraft struck the ground.
The flight instructor reported he had 365 hours total flight experience with 25 hours as a flight instructor and 24 hours as a flight instructor in the accident make and model aircraft.
The student reported he had 160 hours total flight experience with 17 hours in the accident make and model aircraft and 4 hours as pilot in command in the accident make and model.
The closest weather reporting station was at David Wayne Hooks Field, Spring, Texas located approximately 4 miles from the accident site. Weather at that facility at 1753 indicated the winds were from 160 degrees at 10 knots with no gusts reported. The flight instructor reported the winds at May Field were from 230 degrees at 10 with gusts to 20 at the time of the accident. Both the instructor and the weather station indicated there were scattered clouds at 4,000 to 5,000 feet.
The landing was being made on runway 17.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4273E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0518
- Airframe hours
- 7,122
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Moonstar Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Aviones, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 24, 1999 · 73 hours before
- Departed
- DWH · Spring, TX
- Destination
- 2XS3
- Airport
- 2XS3 · Houston - May, runway 17, 3,440 × 50 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
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 365 total · 25 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 90 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DWH, 4 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.