- Date
- November 16, 2007, 08:50 local (14:50 UTC)
- Place
- Murfreesboro, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4396TPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20071116827869A
- Case key
- 67129
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 flight instructor's inadequate remedial action and failure to maintain runway alignment.
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
During an instructional flight the student pilot slipped the Piper PA-28-140 in order to lose altitude while on final approach for landing. After reaching a "reasonable approach altitude" the student then realigned the airplane and continued the final approach. During the flare, the student "flared way too much," and the airplane ballooned. The instructor then "grabbed" the controls and added full power in an attempt to recover. According to the instructor, the airplane was so close to the ground at this point that it did not have time to climb out. The instructor then "chose" to touchdown in the grass to the left of the runway, substantially damaging the airplane.
Factual narrative
During an instructional flight the student pilot slipped the Piper PA-28-140 in order to lose altitude while on final approach for landing. After reaching a "reasonable approach altitude" the student then realigned the airplane and continued the final approach. During the flare, the student "flared way too much," and the airplane ballooned. The instructor then "grabbed" the controls and added full power in an attempt to recover. According to the instructor, the airplane was so close to the ground at this point that it did not have time to climb out. The instructor then "chose" to touch down to the left of the runway in the grass. During rollout, the nose gear collapsed, and the firewall was substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4396T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7225162
- Airframe hours
- 5,924
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-D2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Maxair LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 1, 2007
- Departed
- FYM · Fayettsville, TN
- Destination
- MBT · Murfreesboro, TN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MBT · Murfreesboro Municipal Airport, runway 18, 3,898 × 100 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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2007
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 435 total · 233 in this make and model · 370 as pilot in command · 69 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 42 total · 42 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- MQY, 11 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.