- Date
- April 6, 1994, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tallahassee, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2477EPiper PA-38
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940406000359A
- Case key
- 37522
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 pilot-in-command's improper compensation for wind conditions and lack of rudder input during an attempted go-around that resulted in loss of control in flight and collision with terrain. Rudder input was needed to compensate for the p-factor generated by the increase in power on the go-around.
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 student pilot, returning from a cross-country flight, floated long while landing and added power to attempt a go-around. Upon addition of power the airplane veered to the left, landed in the grass and rolled to a stop into the trees.
Factual narrative
On April 6, 1994, about 1800 eastern daylight time, N2477E, a Piper PA-38 crashed into trees on landing at Tallahassee Commercial Airport, Tallahassee, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. The airplane is registered to and operated by D-Bar-D Aviation Inc. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Albany, Georgia, about 1559 the same day.
The student pilot stated that as he flared for landing he encountered a gust of wind from the left and he added power for a go-around. The airplane then landed and exited the runway to the left and then struck trees. The purpose of the flight was a solo cross-country instructional flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2477E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78AO472
- Airframe hours
- 5,178
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- D-Bar-D Aviation Inc.
- Registered owner
- D-Bar-D Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 28, 1994 · 97 hours before
- Departed
- ABY · Albany, GA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 68J · Tallahassee Commercial, runway 16, 3,249 × 50 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 22
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 27 total · 17 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- THL, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.