- Date
- March 25, 2004, 11:39 local (16:39 UTC)
- Place
- Louisville, KY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N340PAPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20040325009689A
- Case key
- 58955
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 while landing, and the CFI's delayed remedial action. A factor related to the accident was the gusting wind conditions.
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
As the student pilot was landing on the 80-foot wide runway, it began to drift to the right of the centerline. The certified flight instructor (CFI) immediately took control of the airplane, lowered the nose, and added full power. Attempts by the CFI to correct the drift using rudder and aileron inputs were unsuccessful, and the airplane touched down on the right side of the runway. The airplane continued down the right side of the runway, where the right wing struck a taxiway identification sign. The CFI additionally stated that he did not experience any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. The winds reported at the airport, at 1153, were from 200 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots.
Factual narrative
On March 25, 2004, at 1139 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-181, N340PA, was substantially damaged while landing at the Bowman Field (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the CFI, as the student pilot was landing on runway 24, a 4,326-foot long, 80-foot wide asphalt runway; it began to drift to the right of the centerline. The CFI immediately took control of the airplane, lowered the nose, and added full power. Attempts by the CFI to correct the drift using rudder and aileron inputs were unsuccessful, and the airplane touched down on the right side of the runway. The airplane continued down the right side of the runway, where the right wing struck a taxiway identification sign.
The CFI additionally stated that he did not experience any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
The winds reported at the airport, at 1153, were from 200 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N340PA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843516
- Airframe hours
- 430
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Center 1
- Registered owner
- Peterson Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 10, 2004 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- LOU · Louisville, KY
- Airport
- LOU · Bowman Field, runway 24, 4,326 × 80 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
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- November 10, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 317 total · 5 in this make and model · 265 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.38 inHg
- Observed at
- LOU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.