- Date
- June 7, 2002, 07:18 local (14:18 UTC)
- Place
- Henderson, NV
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N49672Piper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 54897
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 inadequate recovery from a bounced landing and the instructor's inadequate supervision.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane had a bounced landing, and on the go-around it contacted the ground two more times before coming to rest on the left side of the runway. The airplane was in the landing pattern practicing touch-and-go landings. On the third approach to landing, the student flared too high; the airplane contacted the ground hard and bounced. The CFI instructed the student to go around by applying full power and reducing the flaps to the first notch. The student applied full power, and raised the flaps to the full up position. The CFI then lowered the nose to gain airspeed, but the airplane contacted the ground again. The right wing dug into dirt and rocks in the uneven terrain beside the runway. The wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On June 7, 2002, at 0718 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-38-112, N49672, veered off the runway during a touch-and-go landing at Henderson (L15), Nevada. DSA, Inc., was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) pilot was not injured, and the student pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local instructional flight departed about 0700. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The CFI reported that the airplane was in the landing pattern practicing touch-and-go landings. On the third approach to landing, the student flared too high; the airplane contacted the ground hard and bounced. The CFI instructed the student to go around by applying full power and reducing the flaps to the first notch. The student applied full power, and raised the flaps to the full up position. The CFI then lowered the nose to gain airspeed. The airplane contacted the ground two more times before coming to rest on the left side of the runway. The right wing dug into dirt and rocks in the uneven terrain beside the runway. The wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N49672
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0045
- Airframe hours
- 4,914.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 L2C(M), 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dsa, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2002 · 69 hours before
- Departed
- L15 · Henderson, NV
- Airport
- HND · Henderson, runway 180, 5,000 × 60 ft, asphalt
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2002
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 757 total · 7 in this make and model · 733 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.70 inHg
- Observed at
- LAS
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 19, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 331 KB in all.