- Date
- September 25, 2007, 15:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Chandler, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6716JPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070925022609A
- Case key
- 66755
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 pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions while landing, which resulted in an undershoot and an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors associated with the accident were the downdraft, the uneven terrain, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
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 flight instructor reported that while on a one mile final approach to Runway 17 and coaching the student pilot on a short field landing, he noticed the airplane's descent rate was greater than 500 feet per minute. The flight instructor stated that he advised the student pilot to increase power, but the student seemed "slow" to add power. The flight instructor further stated, "As we were 300 feet before [the] threshold of Runway 17 we experienced a sinking feeling, [like] a downdraft or vertical wind shear, followed by the airplane's right main landing gear impacting the edge of the asphalt runway, which protrudes a foot higher than terrain at that site." The flight instructor reported that the impact displaced the right main landing gear backward as the airplane skidded to a stop about 1,000 feet down the runway. The pilot stated that damage to the airplane included the right main landing gear bent aft, a hole in the top of the right wing post to the fuel cell, damage to the right flap and right aileron, as well as the left side of the fuselage being wrinkled. The flight instructor stated that there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that while on a one mile final approach to Runway 17 and coaching the student pilot on a short field landing, he noticed the airplane's descent rate was greater than 500 feet per minute. The flight instructor stated that he advised the student pilot to increase power, but the student seemed "slow" to add power. The flight instructor further stated, "As we were 300 feet before [the] threshold of Runway 17 we experienced a sinking feeling, [like] a downdraft or vertical wind shear, followed by the airplane's right main landing gear impacting the edge of the asphalt runway, which protrudes a foot higher than terrain at that site." The flight instructor reported that the impact displaced the right main landing gear backward as the airplane skidded to a stop about 1,000 feet down the runway. The pilot stated that damage to the airplane included the right main landing gear bent aft, a hole in the top of the right wing post to the fuel cell, damage to the right flap and right aileron, as well as the left side of the fuselage being wrinkled. The flight instructor stated that there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6716J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-24-418
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Brian K. Brooks
- Registered owner
- Robert J Danaher
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CHD · Chandler, AZ
- Destination
- P19 · Chandler, AZ
- Airport
- P19 · Stellar Airpark, runway 17, 4,300 × 60 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
- 53
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 4,008 total · 160 in this make and model · 60 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 53 total · 53 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- CHD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.