- Date
- March 5, 1989, 11:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Chandler, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N25620Piper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890305003259A
- Case key
- 26346
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 failure of the instructor pilot to properly evaluate the weather conditions resulting in an encounter with an unanticipated downdraft condition and failure of the student pilot to maintain a proper descent rate.
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 pilot reported that while on final approach to a dirt strip and practicing a simulated engine out emergency procedure the airplane encountered a high sink rate. The pilot was unable to prevent the airplane from colliding with trees. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane. The left wing struck the ground first and the landing gear collapsed as the acft slid sideways.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25620
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-81A0016
- Airframe hours
- 3,130
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Chandler Air Service
- Registered owner
- Chandler Air Service, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · February 28, 1989 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- P10 · Chandler, AZ
- Airport
- U Of A Ag Strip, runway 17, 5,100 × 100 ft, dirt
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
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,341 total · 542 in this make and model · 1,152 as pilot in command · 291 in the last 90 days · 113 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 7 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.