GAA19CA475

NTSB accident investigation · Avid Avid Mark IV · Thompson Falls, MT · July 30, 2019

Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
July 30, 2019, 09:15 local (15:15 UTC)
Place
Thompson Falls, MT
Injuries
2 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N4829WAvid Avid Mark IV
Defining event
Landing: Hard landing
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report May 21, 2020
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20190730006739A
Case key
99978

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 failure to go-around after a hard, bounced landing and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a collision with trees at the departure end of the runway.

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.

Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilotWilliams Jim AVID MARK IV: 1 caseAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause
Action: lack of actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilotWilliams Jim AVID MARK IV: 1 caseAll aircraft: 792 casesProbable cause
Object/animal/substance: tree(s)Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operationWilliams Jim AVID MARK IV: 1 caseAll aircraft: 933 casesProbable cause

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 student pilot reported that, during landing on a private grass airstrip, the airplane bounced hard, so he added power to stabilize it before continuing the landing. However, the airplane was nearing the end of the airstrip, so he added full power. The instructor stated that he initially assumed the student was performing a go-around, although they had not previously discussed the procedure. As the airplane continued toward the end of the airstrip, the student did not conduct a go-around, so the instructor took control of the airplane and initiated a go-around, but about 15 ft above ground level (agl), the airplane impacted trees beyond the end of the runway, spun, and stopped in the trees about 4 ft agl. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and recommended that the student should have had more practice at a conventional airport before practicing at a private airstrip with restricted maneuvering space.

Factual narrative

The student pilot reported that, during landing on a private grass airstrip, the airplane bounced so he added power to stabilize the airplane before continuing the landing. However, they "began to run out of runway," so he added full power and the flight instructor took control of the airplane. The airplane struck the top of some trees and the right wing hit another tree. The instructor reported that he believed the airplane's throttle was improperly rigged, explaining that if you released the throttle, it would spring to full open. The instructor added that during landing the airplane bounced, the student "went wide open throttle," and the airplane stabilized about 15 feet above the ground. He assumed that the student was performing a go around, although they had not previously discussed the procedure. The airplane continued toward the end of the airstrip, but the student did not perform a go around or land. The instructor took control of the airplane and initiated a go-around, but the airplane impacted trees beyond the end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The instructor recommended more practice at a conventional airport prior to practice at the private airstrip with restricted maneuvering space.

Aircraft

Registration
N4829W
Reported as
Avid Avid Mark IV (No Series)
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
1541-D
Built
1996
Engine
Jabiru 2200, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Departed
Thompson Falls, MT
Destination
Thompson Falls, MT
Equipment
Handheld GPS

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
Student pilot
Age
69
Injuries
Serious
Medical
Unknown
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
43 total · 2.7 in the last 90 days · 1.2 in the last 30 days · 0.1 in the last 24 hours
Role
Flight instructor
Age
67
Injuries
Serious
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
August 4, 2018
Seat
Right
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
8,941 total · 6 in this make and model · 8,650 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
61 °F, dew point 36 °F
Altimeter
30.10 inHg
Observed at
KMLP, 20 nm away

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 18, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.