- Date
- April 17, 2018, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ashland, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N404TACostruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P92 Eaglet
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180417012829A
- Case key
- 97100
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 student pilot’s improper landing flare and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 5
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 the airplane was in the landing flare for a touch-and-go landing, the student pilot allowed the airspeed to become too low, and he instructed the student to perform a go around. The student applied full power and retracted the flaps, but the airplane continued to descend, so the instructor "got on the controls with him." During the go-around, the airplane touched down on the runway hard, bounced, and the instructor reported hearing a "ping" and observed that the right main landing gear was no longer attached. The instructor continued the go-around and entered the traffic pattern; during the approach, he observed the right main landing gear laying on the right side of the runway. He landed the airplane and it veered to the right off of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 36 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 250° at 9 knots. The airplane landed on runway 34.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that, while the airplane was in the landing flare for a touch and go landing, the student pilot allowed the airspeed to become too low and he instructed the student to perform a go around. The student applied full power and retracted the flaps, but the airplane continued to descend, so the instructor "got on the controls with him". During the go-around the airplane touched down on the runway hard, bounced, and the instructor reported hearing a "ping" and observed that the right main landing gear was no longer attached. The instructor continued the go-around and entered the traffic pattern and during the approach observed the right main landing gear laying on the right side of the runway. He landed and the airplane veered to the right off of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 36 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 250° at 9 knots. The airplane landed on runway 34.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N404TA
- Reported as
- Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P92 Eaglet (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1327
- Built
- 2010
- Airframe hours
- 2,075.1
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Heart Of Virginia Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Heart Of Virginia Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 9, 2018
- Departed
- OFP · Ashland, VA
- Destination
- OFP · Ashland, VA
- Airport
- OFP · Hanover County Muni, runway 34, 5,402 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 11, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,412 total · 78 in this make and model · 2,224 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 26 total · 13 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KOFP
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 12, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.6 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.