- Date
- October 23, 2010, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cambridge, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N56101Piper PA-28R-200
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101023049569A
- Case key
- 77764
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 commercial pilot’s inadequate flare during landing and the certificated flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard 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
According to the certificated flight instructor (CFI), the purpose of the flight was for him to give instruction to the commercial pilot, who was working toward his flight instructor certificate. At the destination airport, the CFI demonstrated a power-off 180-degree approach to landing. The commercial pilot successfully demonstrated four of the same approaches and began the fifth approach. During the landing, the commercial pilot misjudged the landing flare which resulted in a firm touchdown. The CFI attempted to maneuver the airplane in a nose-high configuration, but was unable to apply enough back pressure to prevent a firm touchdown, due to the force being applied by the commercial pilot. Upon touchdown, the CFI executed a go-around maneuver and then flew to the home airport where they landed without incident. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the outboard and inboard ribs. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the hard landing.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, the flight departed for the purpose of providing instruction to the commercial pilot in the right seat, who was working toward his flight instructor certificate. At the destination airport, the flight instructor demonstrated a “power-off 180-degree approach to landing,” then the commercial pilot successfully demonstrated four of the same approaches. On the fifth approach, the commercial pilot “misjudged the landing flare” which resulted in a "firm touchdown." The flight instructor "attempted to pull back on the stabilator control" but was unable to apply enough back pressure to prevent a firm touchdown, due to the force being applied by the commercial pilot. Upon touchdown, the flight instructor executed a go-around maneuver and then flew to the home airport where they landed without incident. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the outboard and inboard ribs. The flight instructor stated there were no mechanical malfunctions prior to the hard landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N56101
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7335354
- Airframe hours
- 7,457
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Seniram Air Inc
- Registered owner
- Seniram Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 24, 2010
- Departed
- ANP · Edgewater, MD
- Destination
- KCGE · Cambridge, MD
- Airport
- KCGE · Cambridge-Dorchester Airport, runway 34, 4,477 × 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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 13, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,822 total · 149 in this make and model · 1,624 as pilot in command · 169 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 8, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 11 in this make and model · 628 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- ESN, 16 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 6, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 623 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.