- Date
- September 14, 2016, 21:10 local (Sep 15, 2016, 01:10 UTC)
- Place
- Parkersburg, WV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5673UPiper PA 28
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160914017739A
- Case key
- 94021
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 flight instructor’s delayed remedial action during the approach for landing, which resulted in impact with terrain short of the runway threshold. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot’s failure to maintain an appropriate descent rate during the approach for landing.
Findings · 3
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 while on short final during an initial night flight with a student pilot, he commented to the student pilot that the airspeed was low. He then recognized that they were "in a high sink rate" and took over the flight controls. He further reported that he attempted to recover the high sink rate by advancing the throttle to full forward. The engine responded to the throttle input, but the airplane impacted the ground short of the runway threshold and slid about 30 feet left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The flight instructor reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that while on short final during an initial night flight with a student pilot, he commented to the student pilot that the airspeed was low. He then recognized that they were "in a high sink rate" and took over the flight controls. He further reported that he attempted to recover the high sink rate by advancing the throttle to full forward. The engine responded to the throttle input, but the airplane impacted the ground short of the runway threshold and slid about 30 feet left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The flight instructor reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5673U
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28 (140)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-26470
- Built
- 1969
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PKB · Parkersburg, WV
- Destination
- PKB · Parkersburg, WV
- Airport
- PKB · Mid-Ohio Valley Rgnl, runway 03, 7,240 × 150 ft, asphalt
- 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 29, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,061 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 1,990 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- PKB, 7 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 16, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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 N5673U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.