# NTSB LAX98LA010: Piper PA-28-140, N836FC, Lanai City, HI, October 12, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 11, 1997, 15:00 local (Oct 12, 1997, 01:00 UTC) - Place: Lanai City, HI - Coordinates: 20.830579, -156.919479 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=20.8306&lon=-156.9195&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 4, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 29974 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX98LA010 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/29974/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA010 ## Probable cause Interference on the controls by the passenger as the aircraft neared touchdown, and the pilot's failure to adequately brief and supervise the passenger on the use and relinquishing of the flight controls. A factor in the accident was the intentional control interference of the passenger. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, landing - flare/touchdown - elevator - improper use of, passenger (cause) - control interference - intentional, passenger (cause) - relinquishing of control - not performed, passenger (cause) - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - Hard landing, landing - Nose over, landing - roll ## Analysis While practicing touch-and-go landings the pilot gave permission to his passenger to place his hands on the yoke. The purpose was to allow the passenger to feel what the pilot was doing during the flight. The passenger had been briefed that the pilot was going to raise the nose of the aircraft during the landing sequence. At this point, the passenger pushed the yoke forward and a struggle for the aircraft controls took place between the pilot and the passenger. The pilot was able to reestablish control of the aircraft before impacting the runway, but it resulted in a hard landing. When questioned by the pilot regarding his [the passenger's] actions during the landing, the passenger stated that he thought that the pilot needed his assistance in landing. The passenger reacted automatically when he perceived that the pilot was having trouble raising the nose of the aircraft. Witnesses to the accident reported that as the aircraft got close to the runway it dropped about 50 to 60 feet straight down to the ground. Both witnesses reported that weather was not a factor. ## Factual narrative On October 11, 1997, at 1500 hours Hawaiian standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N836FC, veered off runway 21 and overturned after making a hard landing at the Lanai City, Hawaii, airport, while practicing touch-and-go landings. The aircraft was owned by Helicopter Consultants of Maui, Inc., and was rented to the pilot. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The airline transport rated pilot and non-rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the local personal flight which included calm wind conditions. The pilot reported that after takeoff from the first touch-and-go he gave his passenger ". . .permission to have a light touch on the yoke to enable him to feel what I was doing." Until he went to raise the nose for landing, the pilot had felt no pressure on the yoke from the passenger. "I had been explaining everything I was doing but when I told the passenger that I was raising the nose for landing he aggressively pushed the yoke forward. I was only able to pull the nose up before we impacted the runway." The pilot stated that he had asked his passenger why he had done that and the passenger explained to him that, ". . .he just reacted automatically because of his extensive experience flying ultra lights where you have to push out to raise the nose. He thought I was having trouble raising the nose because the yoke wasn't going in." The passenger stated that, "as we were on final, [the pilot] mentioned he [was] going to raise the nose. My hands were still on the yoke but I did not realize that I was pushing the nose down." The passenger further stated "My reflex and not allowing [the pilot] to pull on the yoke caused the plane to crash on the [runway]." Witnesses to the accident reported that as the aircraft got close to the runway it dropped about 50 to 60 feet straight down to the ground. Both witnesses reported that weather was not a factor in this accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N836FC](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N836FC-2000-09-25), registration cancelled 2000-09-25, S/N 28-22236 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-28-140 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (registry code 7102802) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-22236 - Airframe hours: 5699 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A4A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: David Chevalier - Registered owner: Helicopter Consultants Of Maui - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 9, 1997, 1 hours before - Departed: OGG, KAHULUI, HI - Destination: LNY - Airport: LNY, Lanai, runway 21, 5,001 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 46; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 11,000 total, 150 in this make and model, 9,300 as pilot in command, 10 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 20,000 ft broken - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: LNY ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19971011031249A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971011031249A), Oct 11, 1997: Piper PA28140, Lanai City, HI, Substantial damage. Hard landing. Veered off rwy. Overturned. Allowed passengers on dual control pushed yoke forward causing nose down. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.