- Date
- May 30, 1996, 15:13 local (20:13 UTC)
- Place
- Longview, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8275ZPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960530012119A
- Case key
- 19854
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
an improper flare by the pilot rated student, while landing with a tailwind; and inadequate supervision by the flight instructor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A commercial pilot (student) was taking dual instruction with a flight instructor (CFI) aboard. They elected to make a power-off landing on runway 17. The wind at that time was reported to be from 010 degrees at 8 knots. While on the approach, the student initiated a forward slip to loose altitude. When the airplane came out of the slip, the speed was about 60 knots. As the airplane was being flared for landing, the nose dropped. The instructor said he applied power and tried to correct the situation, but the airplane touched down hard and was damaged.
Factual narrative
On May 30, 1996, at 1513 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N8275Z, registered to and operated by Letourneau University as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing at Longview, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight instructor and commercial pilot rated student were not injured. The flight originated from Longview, Texas, about 1410, and was in the traffic pattern at Gregg County Airport at the time of the accident.
According to the enclosed Pilot/Operator Report, the commercial pilot rated student was practicing power off landings to runway 17. During the second power off landing, the student pilot initiated a forward slip to lose altitude. As the airplane came out of the slip the indicated airspeed was 60 knots. The nose of the aircraft dropped and the flight instructor was unable to correct the nose low attitude. The aircraft impacted the runway damaging the left wing, firewall, fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and separating the landing gear.
The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 010 degrees at 8 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8275Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8316002
- Airframe hours
- 1,418
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Letourneau University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 29, 1996 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- GGG
- Airport
- GGG · Gregg County, runway 17, 6,109 × 150 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,484 total · 1,117 in this make and model · 1,262 as pilot in command · 185 in the last 90 days · 57 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 12, 1996, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.