# NTSB ERA25LA153: Piper PA-30, N8339Y, Anderson, SC, March 21, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: March 21, 2025, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC) - Place: Anderson, SC - Coordinates: 34.494587, -82.709381 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4946&lon=-82.7094&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - 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 - NTSB case key (mKey): 199894 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA153 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199894/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199894 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA153 ## Probable cause The pilots’ overcorrection during the landing roll which resulted in a loss of directional control and runway excursion. Contributing was the flight instructor’s inability to correct the pilot’s actions because due to brakes only being installed on the pilot’s side. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-30, 16 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=7103002), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-30, 28 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=7103002), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Landing gear system: brake](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023242): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not installed/available (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-30, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023242/cases.md?model=7103002), [All aircraft, 297 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023242/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-30, 14 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=7103002), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Piper PA-30, 15 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=7103002), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor and the commercial pilot, who was undergoing multiengine instruction, departed the airport traffic pattern and conducted flight maneuvers for about 30 minutes on their way to the destination airport where they planned to conduct some practice landings. During final approach, the instructor reported the pilot was maintaining a stabilized approach with a nominal descent rate and airspeed. Upon reaching the runway as they entered the flare and the airplane was in ground effect, the flight instructor stated, “power idle" and the pilot pulled the throttles back. The airplane touched down firmly on the centerline, then immediately began yawing to the left. The pilot attempted to correct, and the instructor told the pilot to stop “dancing” on the pedals, but the pilot overcorrected, and the airplane went in the opposing direction and off the right side of the runway through the grass and across a taxiway before coming to rest. During the impact, the landing gear collapsed, and the wings sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, further stating that she should have reacted sooner when she observed the beginning of the loss of control. However, the airplane was only equipped with brakes on the pilot’s (left) side, which limited the flight instructor’s ability to correct the pilot’s actions. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8339Y](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8339Y), registered now, S/N 30-1485, built 1967 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30 - Registry model: [Piper PA-30](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (registry code 7103002) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (registry code 41509, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 30-1485 - Year built: 1967 - Airframe hours: 5563 - Engines: Lycoming IO-320-B1A 160 horsepower reciprocating; Lycoming IO-320-B1A 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, February 21, 2025, 35 hours before - Departed: GMU, Greenville, SC - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: AND, Anderson Rgnl, runway 23, 6,002 × 149 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 33; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review January 6, 2025; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,323 total, 50 in this make and model, 1,240 as pilot in command, 167 in the last 90 days, 65 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 30; injuries: none; private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 27, 2024; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 326 total, 4 in this make and model, 218 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 46 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 30.15 inHg - Observed at: AND - METAR: KAND 211456Z AUTO 10SM CLR 08/M06 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP209 T00831056 53020 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20250321003189A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250321003189A), Mar 21, 2025: Piper PA-30, Anderson, SC, Substantial damage. Aircraft was attempting a touch-and-go on runway 23 at kand when the pilot flying lost control and the aircraft veered off the runway into the grass causing… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199894. 2.8 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18534018&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%27s%206120%20Accident%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Flight instructor's statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 176 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18532898&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Instructor%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot receiving instruction statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 157 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18532880&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Student%20Statement-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation_flight instructor (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 97 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18541486&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memo%20for%20Record_Instructor_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array_accident site and damage (item 5, PDF, 4 pages, 567 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18533273&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array_Accident%20Site%20and%20Damage%20N8339Y-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.