- Date
- February 25, 2014, 09:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Gulf Shores, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N156WBAmerican Legend AL3
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20140225002549A
- Case key
- 88843
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 incorrect rudder input, which resulted in a ground loop and collision with a runway sign.
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 flight instructor, he and the student pilot flew to a local airport to practice touch and go landings and takeoffs. The student pilot flew the traffic pattern uneventfully, and during the final approach to land, the airspeed was excessive. The airplane touched down, and bounced back into the air; the student pilot regained control of the airplane, and touched down in the proper landing attitude. During the landing roll the airplane began to drift to the right, and the flight instructor called out for left rudder input while engaging the left rudder pedal. According to the student pilot, he initiated more right rudder pedal force and caused the airplane to ground loop. The airplane struck a runway sign and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Both pilots reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, he and the student pilot flew to a local airport to practice touch and go landings and takeoffs. The student pilot flew the traffic pattern uneventfully, and during the final approach to land, the airspeed was excessive. The airplane touched down, and bounced back into the air; the student pilot regained control of the airplane, and touched down in the proper landing attitude. During the landing roll the airplane began to drift to the right, and the flight instructor called out for left rudder input while engaging the left rudder pedal. According to the student pilot, he initiated more right rudder pedal force and caused the airplane to ground loop. The airplane struck a runway sign and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Both pilots reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N156WB
- Reported as
- American Legend AL3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AL-1173
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 212
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200-D, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Mhoc LLC
- Registered owner
- Mhoc LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2014
- Departed
- 82J · Pensacola, FL
- Destination
- JKA · Gulf Shores, AL
- Airport
- JKA · Gulf Shores, runway 09, 6,962 × 100 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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 6, 2013
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,300 total · 25 in this make and model · 3,100 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6 total · 6 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 16,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- JKA
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 24, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.7 MB 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 N156WB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.