- Date
- April 15, 1995, 16:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Westminister, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N41767Piper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950415014459A
- Case key
- 38944
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 failure of the flight instructor to take timely remedial action during an approach, resulting in an inadvertent stall, hard landing and subsequent collapse of the landing gear. A factor related to the accident was the flight instructor's lack of instructing experience.
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) and the dual, private pilot student were practicing simulated emergency landings to runway 34. According to the FAA inspector's written statement, 'during the approach, the private pilot failed to maintain a proper airspeed on final.' At approximately 100 feet above the runway the airplane stalled and sunk, losing altitude rapidly. The airplane landed extremely hard and the landing gear collapsed. The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 310 degrees at 18 knots. According to the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the cfi's total flight time was 652 hours, of which 29.5 hours were in this make and model airplane. The cfi's total flight instructor time was 8.7 hours, of which 3.1 hours were in this make and model airplane.
Factual narrative
On April 15, 1995, about 1635 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA- 28R-200, N41767, piloted by William Best, collided with the ground while landing at Carroll County Airport, near Westminister, Maryland. The airplane was substantially damaged. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and the dual, private pilot student were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The CFI and the private pilot were conducting a complex aircraft checkout. They were practicing simulated emergency landings to runway 34. While on short final, the airplane struck the ground from an altitude of approximately 100 feet.
According to the FAA Inspector's written statement:
During the approach, the private pilot failed to maintain a proper airspeed on final. The aircraft encountered a wind shear condition approximately 100 feet above the runway. The aircraft partially stalled and sunk, loosing altitude rapidly. The flight instructor failed to take appropriate action in a timely manner. The aircraft landed extremely hard and the landing gear collapsed
The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 310 degrees at 18 knots, gusts to 21 knots.
According to the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the CFI's total flight time was 652 hours, of which 29.5 hours were in this make and model airplane. The CFI's total flight instructor time was 8.7 hours, of which 3.1 hours were in this make and model airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41767
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R7435216
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Control Aero
- Registered owner
- Ivan Eliasen/Jack Beverly
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 2W2 · Westminster, MD
- Airport
- W54 · Carroll County, runway 34, 5,200 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 652 total · 30 in this make and model · 562 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 18 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.