- Date
- September 21, 2011, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Okeechobee, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9249LPiper PA-28-161
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110921024759A
- Case key
- 81860
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 the proper glidepath during a power-off landing 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
According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), the student pilot entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern and reduced the power to idle when the airplane was abeam the runway numbers in order to perform a power-off landing. The airplane slowed to glide speed, and the student pilot selected 10 degrees of flaps and turned onto the base leg. After turning onto final approach, the airplane's airspeed decreased to below 60 knots, and the CFI advised the student pilot to perform a go-around. The CFI then took control of the airplane to prevent an "imminent stall" and applied full power, but the airplane continued to descend. The airplane struck trees and a fence and then impacted the ground. The CFI subsequently reduced the power to idle and applied the brakes. However, the airplane struck another fence, turned 180 degrees, and came to rest in a grassy area to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage during the accident sequence. The CFI did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, he and the student pilot were on the second leg of a cross country flight when the student pilot entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at an intermediate airport. The flight instructor directed the student pilot to perform a power-off landing, and power was reduced to idle when the airplane was abeam the runway numbers. The airplane slowed to glide speed, and the student pilot selected 10 degrees of flaps and turned it to the base leg of the traffic pattern. After turning onto the final leg of the traffic pattern, the airplane's airspeed decreased to below 60 knots, and the flight instructor advised the student pilot to perform a go around. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane to prevent an "imminent stall" and applied full power, but the airplane continued to descend. The airplane struck trees and a fence, then impacted the ground. The flight instructor subsequently reduced the power to idle and applied the brakes. However, the airplane struck another fence, turned 180 degrees, and came to rest in a grassy area to the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage during the accident sequence. The flight instructor did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9249L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2841257
- Airframe hours
- 11,787
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Flightsafety International
- Registered owner
- Flightsafety International
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 16, 2011
- Departed
- PHK · Pahokee, FL
- Destination
- OBE · Okeechobee, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- OBE · Okeechobee County Airport, runway 14, 4,000 × 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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 964 total · 253 in this make and model · 871 as pilot in command · 132 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 38 total · 38 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 91 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- OBE
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 10, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 443 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.