- Date
- March 30, 2003, 13:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Troutdale, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4961TPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030330003609A
- Case key
- 56718
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
Aircraft control was not maintained during the landing roll. An improper flare which resulted in a bounced landing was a factor.
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 student pilot reported that after returning from the practice area, he was going to do a couple of touch-and-go landings. The first landing was without incident. During the second approach, the aircraft was not lined up with the runway and the student did a go-around. During the third approach, the student stated that the aircraft landed and the next thing he remembered was looking at the ground from the cockpit. The students flight instructor witnessed the third landing and stated that the aircraft touched down and "bounced a little" then settled when he heard power being applied. The aircraft then veered to the left. The right wing contacted the runway surface and the aircraft continued off the side of the runway. The nose gear sheared off and the airplane nosed down.
Factual narrative
On March 30, 2003, approximately 1315 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N4961T, registered to a private owner and operated by a student pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 solo instructional flight, veered off the side of the runway at Portland-Troutdale Airport, Troutdale, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the student pilot was not injured.
In a written statement, the student pilot reported that after returning from the practice area, he was going to do a couple of touch-and-go landings. The first landing was without incident. The second approach, the aircraft was left of centerline and the student performed a go-around. The student pilot stated that during the third approach, "landed and the next thing I remember is looking at the ground from the cockpit."
The student's flight instructor, who was watching the flight, reported that this was the student's second solo flight. The instructor stated that the student accomplished one successful landing on runway 25. During the second landing attempt, the student initiated a go-around. The instructor stated that during the third attempt, the aircraft touched down and "bounced a little" then settled when he heard power being applied. The aircraft then veered to the left. The right wing contacted the runway surface and the aircraft continued off the side of the runway. The nose gear sheared off and the airplane nosed down.
Inspection of the aircraft by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector from the Hillsboro, Oregon, Flight Standards District Office, reported that the lower right section of the firewall was wrinkled around the engine mount, the right wing tip was damaged and the nose gear was sheared off.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4961T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7225289
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David J. Guild
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 2003
- Departed
- TTD · Troutdale, OR
- Airport
- TTD · Portland-Troutdale, runway 25, 5,399 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 38 total · 12 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- TTD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.