- Date
- February 22, 2021, 09:57 local (14:57 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Pierce, FL · KFPR Airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N885ACPiper PA-28-181
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA / FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210222000289A
- Case key
- 102680
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 pilot under instruction’s improper landing flare and attempted go-around which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Findings · 4
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 pilot under instruction was undergoing a stage check. On what was to be the last landing, the pilot was to perform a short field landing. As the airplane approached the runway, the pilot initiated the landing flare too high. The stall warning horn annunciated, and the flight instructor instructed the pilot to execute a go around. However, the pilot did not add power, so the flight instructor took over the flight controls, and added full power. The flight instructor tried to recover, but the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall, started turning into the wind, and directional control of the airplane was lost. The airplane then started descending and yawing to the right, and the airplane touched down hard coming to rest on the grass off the right side of the runway. The airplane’s left wing and stabilator were substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N885AC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2881396
- Built
- 2020
- Airframe hours
- 235.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Ari Ben Aviator Inc, doing business as AVIATOR COLLEGE of Aeronautical Science & Technology
- Registered owner
- Ari Ben Aviator Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 2, 2021 · 38.9 hours before
- Departed
- FPR · Fort Pierce, FL
- Airport
- FPR · Treasure Coast Intl, runway 10L/28R, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system
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
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Remote
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 21, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,677 total · 252 in this make and model · 1,539 as pilot in command · 256 in the last 90 days · 102 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 21, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 177 total · 72 in this make and model · 91 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- FPR, 1.16 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 15, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 18.3 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.