- Date
- March 2, 2022, 18:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Manassas, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5627WPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- 20220302003099A
- Case key
- 104723
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 improper left rudder input after power application during the touch-and-go landing which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with airport lighting equipment. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student.
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 flight instructor reported that, during the takeoff portion of a touch-an-go landing, the student applied an “extreme amount” of left rudder and the airplane began to veer left and impacted a light with the wingtip, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The instructor stated that he was not guarding the rudder pedals and attempted to assume control of the airplane, but the event happened very quickly and there was not enough time to correct and center the airplane over the runway. The instructor stated that during debriefing later, the student indicated that he lost control of the rudder. Post-accident inspection of the rudder flight control system by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5627W
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-772
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 4,294
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2021 · 22 hours before
- Airport
- HEF · Manassas Regional Airport, runway 16L, 6,200 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 8, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 587 total · 210 in this make and model · 554 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 42 total · 2 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- HWY, 12 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 2, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 21.8 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.