- Date
- June 30, 2010, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Farmingdale, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N388MADiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100630039161A
- Case key
- 76500
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 maintain directional control during a crosswind landing.
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 student pilot stated that he was conducting a "normal" landing to runway 32. During the landing flare, the airplane "seemed to float," and the airspeed "was getting low." The student pilot applied power, and the airplane contacted the runway and "pulled hard" to the left before exiting the runway into the grass. The airplane impacted a runway sign and traveled approximately 1,000 feet across several taxiways and grass areas before it impacted a parked airplane and came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The student pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies. Winds at the accident airport, recorded 23 minutes after the accident, were from 240 degrees at 11 knots, with gusts to 20 knots, and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector confirmed there were left crosswinds at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated that he was conducting a "normal" landing to runway 32. During the landing flare, the airplane "seemed to float," and the airspeed "was getting low." The student pilot applied power, and the airplane contacted the runway and "pulled hard" to the left before exiting the runway into the grass. The airplane impacted a runway sign and traveled approximately 1,000 feet across several taxiways and grass areas before it impacted a parked airplane and came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The student pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies. Winds at the accident airport, recorded 23 minutes after the accident, were from 240 degrees at 11 knots, with gusts to 20 knots, and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector confirmed there were left crosswinds at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N388MA
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 40.522
- Airframe hours
- 1,774
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Harbor Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Harbor Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 11, 2009
- Departed
- HVN · New Haven, CT
- Destination
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FRG · Republic Airport, runway 32, 6,833 × 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 115 total · 115 in this make and model · 14 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 11 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- FRG
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 19, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 662 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.
Other investigations on N388MA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.