- Date
- February 12, 2004, 17:20 local (Feb 13, 2004, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Hollister, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N55073Piper PA-34-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 7, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 58833
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 maintain directional control and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
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 veered off the runway during landing and collided with a runway sign. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student were practicing a simulated single engine approach. The student lost directional control of the airplane after touchdown. The CFI elected to do a go-around. Just after adding power for the go-around, the airplane veered off of the runway and the right flap assembly impacted a runway sign. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported.
Factual narrative
On February 12, 2004, about 1720 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-34-200, N55073, veered off the runway during landing and collided with a runway sign at the Hollister Municipal Airport, Hollister, California. American School of Aviation, Inc., was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and the student pilot were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed from the Reid-Hillview Airport, San Jose, California, at 1700, for the local area training flight.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the airplane veered off of the runway during landing. The airplane then collided with a runway sign and the right flap was torn from its attachments, resulting in damage to the wing spar and ribs.
In a written statement, the operator reported that the CFI and student were practicing a simulated single-engine approach. The student pilot lost directional control of the airplane after touchdown. The CFI elected to do a go-around. During the go-around, the airplane veered off of the runway and the right flap assembly impacted a runway sign. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55073
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7350169
- Airframe hours
- 7,200
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1E6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- American School of Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- RSM Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 1, 2003 · 92 hours before
- Departed
- RHV · Reid-Hillview, CA
- Destination
- 307 · Hollister, CA
- Airport
- 307 · Hollister, runway 31, 6,350 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,300 total · 150 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 25, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 800 total · 8 in this make and model · 700 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- SNS, 17 nm away
Other investigations on N55073 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.