- Date
- May 21, 2016, 19:15 local (May 22, 2016, 03:15 UTC)
- Place
- Seward, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1258CPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160521021679A
- Case key
- 93270
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 receiving instruction's failure to maintain proper airspeed and descent rate, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and landing gear collapse.
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 an instructional flight, while on short final, the headwind dissipated and the airplane started to slow and sink. He instructed the pilot receiving instruction in the front seat to add power, but she did not complete the action immediately. After realizing the action was not complete the flight instructor added full power, but the airplane continued to descend at an accelerated rate and touched down hard upon landing. Subsequently, the main landing gear collapsed and the fuselage was substantially damaged. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that during an instructional flight, while on short final, the headwind dissipated and the airplane started to slow and sink. He instructed the pilot receiving instruction in the front seat to add power, but she did not complete the action immediately. After realizing the action was not complete the flight instructor added full power, but the airplane continued to descend at an accelerated rate and touched down hard upon landing. Subsequently, the main landing gear collapsed and the fuselage was substantially damaged. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1258C
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (135)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-2497
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 5,962
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2016
- Departed
- SWD · Seward, AK
- Destination
- SWD · Seward, AK
- Airport
- SWD · Seward, runway 34, 2,289 × 75 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- None
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 7, 2015
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 4,081 total · 670 in this make and model · 3,960 as pilot in command · 92 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWD
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.4 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.
Other investigations on N1258C · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.