- Date
- June 18, 1996, 20:10 local (Jun 19, 1996, 01:10 UTC)
- Place
- Arlington, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N6634JPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960618014239A
- Case key
- 19872
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
inadequate instruction by the flight instructor (CFI), and his inadequate supervision of the dual student. Factors relating to the accident were: the student pilot's failure to understand or select the normal (hand) brakes.
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
The student pilot was on his first lesson in this airplane, which was equipped with only a hand brake. The student was not aware of the lack of toe brakes. During the start procedure, the instructor pilot (CFI) read the checklist, including 'set brakes.' The student responded 'brakes' and applied pressure on the upper portions of the rudder pedals. Previous airplanes flown by the student were equipped with hand brakes and toe brakes. The throttle was set at '1/2' open, and when the engine started, the airplane rolled forward and to the left toward a fence. The instructor applied full aft yoke, right rudder, and hand braking; however, the airplane struck the fence and a parked vehicle.
Factual narrative
On June 18, 1996, at 2010 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N6634J, registered to and operated by Aero Dynamics Inc., of Arlington, Texas, under Title 14 CFR Part 91, collided with a fence and a vehicle during engine start at Arlington Municipal Airport, Arlington, Texas. The commercial pilot/flight instructor and the student pilot were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the planned local instructional flight and a flight plan was not filed.
During interviews, conducted by the investigator-in-charge, the flight instructor, operator and the student pilot reported the following information. The airplane, parked at the tiedown area of the ramp, faced a fence and parking lot. This was the student pilot's first lesson in this airplane (equipped only with hand brakes) and he was not aware of the lack of toe brakes. Previous airplanes flown by the student were equipped with hand brakes and toe brakes. During the start procedure, the instructor read the checklist, including "set brakes." The student responded "brakes" and applied pressure on the upper portions of the rudder pedals. The throttle was set at "1/2" open and when the engine started, the airplane rolled forward and to the left toward the fence. The instructor applied full aft yoke, right rudder, and hand braking; however, the airplane struck the fence and a parked vehicle. The left wing structures, the propeller, fence, and vehicle were damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6634J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-5101
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Freddy Pate
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 17, 1996
- Departed
- ARL
- Airport
- ARL · Arlington Municipal
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
- 33
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 859 total · 87 in this make and model · 803 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FTW, 187 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.