- Date
- October 18, 2018, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hastings, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N41390Piper PA28
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 5, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181018020269A
- Case key
- 98522
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, which resulted in the airplane landing sideways and a subsequent runway excursion.
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 observing the solo student pilot's flight from the ground, the approach looked good, but the airplane might have been fast. As the airplane flared, he noticed the right wing "kind of pop up" just before touchdown. Subsequently, the airplane landed sideways and exited the left side of the runway. The instructor added that the student was unsure of what happened but reported that he had just lost control. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that, while observing the solo student pilot's flight from the ground, the approach looked good, but the airplane might have been fast. As the airplane flared, he noticed the right wing "kind of pop up" just before touch down. Subsequently, the airplane landed sideways and exited the left side of the runway. The instructor added that, the student was unsure of what happened, but reported that he had just lost control. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41390
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (151)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7415198
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 12,464.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 7, 2018
- Departed
- 9D9 · Hastings, MI
- Destination
- 9D9 · Hastings, MI
- Airport
- 9D9 · Hastings, runway 30, 5,004 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 12.1 total · 12.1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.51 inHg
- Observed at
- KGRR, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 27, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.