- 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.
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.