- Date
- December 18, 2008, 22:47 local (Dec 19, 2008, 03:47 UTC)
- Place
- Folkston, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N699GPiper PA-34-200
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report January 29, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20081218856679A
- Case key
- 73120
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's improper flare and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor of the Piper PA-34-200 stated that following an uneventful cross-country flight, his student configured the airplane for landing. On the final approach to the 2,500-foot-long by 50-foot-wide runway, the instructor advised the student that he was "low" and to "add some power." The student complied, and about the time the airplane reached the runway threshold, the student reduced the power as he flared the airplane. The airplane touched down "harder than normal and bounced." The flight instructor took control of the airplane and applied the brakes after it touched down a second time. The airplane bounced again, and when it touched down the third time, the flight instructor applied the brakes fully in an attempt to stop. The instructor considered aborting the landing, but did not believe that enough runway remained. The airplane departed the end of the runway, and went down an embankment into a ditch, resulting in substantial damage.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor of the Piper PA-34-200 stated that following an uneventful cross-country flight, his student configured the airplane for landing. On the final approach to the 2,500-foot-long by 50-foot-wide runway, the instructor advised the student that he was "low" and to "add some power." The student complied, and about the time the airplane reached the runway threshold, the student reduced the power as he flared the airplane. The airplane touched down "harder than normal and bounced." The flight instructor took control of the airplane and applied the brakes after it touched down a second time. The airplane bounced again, and when it touched down the third time, the flight instructor applied the brakes fully in an attempt to stop. The instructor considered aborting the landing, but did not believe that enough runway remained. The airplane departed the end of the runway, and went down an embankment into a ditch, resulting in substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N699G
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7250338
- Airframe hours
- 5,538
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Silver Express Co
- Registered owner
- Silver Express Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 6, 2008
- Departed
- 42J · Keystone Height, FL
- Destination
- 3J6 · Folkston, GA
- Airport
- 3J6 · Davis Field, runway 36, 2,500 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 14, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 202 total · 14 in this make and model · 132 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 12, 2007
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,380 total · 75 in this make and model · 1,266 as pilot in command · 292 in the last 90 days · 104 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- JAX, 25 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.