# NTSB NYC00LA167: Piper PA-38, N407DS, Cheswold, DE, June 18, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 18, 2000, 10:50 local (14:50 UTC) - Place: Cheswold, DE - Coordinates: 39.220611, -75.579719 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2206&lon=-75.5797&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 4, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 49461 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC00LA167 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/49461/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00LA167 ## Probable cause The instructor's delayed remedial action. Factors included the instructor's failure to take positive control of the airplane, and the student's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Undershoot, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - instructions,written/verbal - not issued, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - airspeed - not maintained, dual student (contributing factor) ## Analysis The airplane was on the final approach segment of a visual pattern, with the student pilot at the controls. The student reduced power, the airspeed bled off, and airplane began to sink. The instructor told the student to watch his airspeed, but no corrective action was taken. When the airplane was about 200 feet above the ground, the instructor initiated a go-around. The instructor felt the student push forward on the controls, while the instructor was trying to pull aft and add power. The airplane's left main landing gear became entangled in tall grass and brush. The airplane then yawed left, and impacted the ground. It skidded sideways, and came to rest 20 to 30 feet prior to the runway threshold. ## Factual narrative On June 18, 2000, at 1050 Eastern Daylight Time, a Piper PA-38, N407DS, was substantially damaged when it landed short of the runway at Delaware Airpark (33N), Cheswold, Delaware. The certificated flight instructor and the certificated student pilot were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the local instructional flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the flight instructor, the airplane was on a stabilized final approach to Runway 27, at 65 knots indicated airspeed, with the student at the controls. The student reduced power, the airspeed went below 60 knots, and airplane began to "sink." The instructor told the student to watch his airspeed, "but no corrective action was taken." At that point, with the airplane about 200 feet above the ground, the instructor initiated a go-around. However, on short final, "the student observed the airspeed slow and pushed over the control wheel drastically...the student was pushing forward while I was pulling aft and adding power." The instructor further stated that the student overcame the instructor's inputs, and that the left main landing gear became entangled in tall grass and brush. The airplane yawed to the left and was pulled downwards. It impacted the ground, skidded sideways, and came to rest 20 to 30 feet prior to the runway threshold. According to the student pilot, the airplane was high on final approach, so he reduced power. When he thought he had the runway made, the student reduced additional power, "which caused the airspeed to decrease too much. The instructor took the controls, but it was too late [and] we were too low...." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N407DS](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N407DS-2002-06-25), registration cancelled 2002-06-25, S/N 38-79A0989 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-38 - Registry model: [Piper PA-38-112](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112) (registry code 7103812) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 38-79A0989 - Airframe hours: 7840 - Engines: Lycoming O-235 112 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Delaware State University - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Last inspection: 100 hour, March 23, 2000, 42 hours before - Departed: 33N, CHESWOLD, DE - Airport: 33N, Delaware Airpark, runway 27, 3,715 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 31; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: right; flight hours: 756 total, 25 in this make and model, 679 as pilot in command, 115 in the last 90 days, 72 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 220° at 9 knots - Visibility: 5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,500 ft broken - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 75 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: DOV, 6 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000618008859A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000618008859A), Jun 18, 2000: Piper PA38112, Dover/Cheswold, DE, No damage. (-23) Instructor failed to take command in time to prevent aircraft from slowing to such a critical speed that recovery was not possible. 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.