- Date
- July 24, 1985, 19:31 local (23:31 UTC)
- Place
- Worcester, MA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N999RHPiper PA-30
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850724038599A
- Case key
- 35930
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 instructor (CFI) & student were practicing touch-&-go landings. On the 4th landing, the apch & touchdown were made with full flaps extended. The CFI began to retract the flaps while the student applied full power for takeoff. The acft became airborne & began to yaw to the left. The CFI took control of the acft when the student could no longer maintain directional control. The CFI then reduced power on both engs in an effort to land. The acft collided with the ground & began burning. The CFI thought that they had experienced a split flap condition. However, a visual exam of the acft revealed that both flaps were in the nearly full down position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N999RH
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-421
- Airframe hours
- 3,460
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-B1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Hertzell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 24, 1984 · 70 hours before
- Airport
- ORH · Worcester Muni, runway 29, 6,999 × 150 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
- 49
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,734 total · 80 in this make and model · 4,571 as pilot in command · 203 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.