- Date
- June 10, 2009, 16:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Moses Lake, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7095KSmith Albert F Challenger TWO
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090610007739A
- Case key
- 74020
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 student pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition and failure to maintain lateral roll control of the airplane. Also causal was the flight instructor's failure to effectively communicate his instruction to relinquish the flight controls to the student pilot and his inadequate supervision of the flight.
Findings · 7
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor said that after completing a series of maneuvers in the local practice area, he had the student pilot enter the traffic pattern for runway 16. The student pilot was to execute a low approach above the runway and then go around. During the low approach as the airplane passed midfield, the right wing of the airplane began to lift up, and the airplane veered to the left of the runway. The student added full power. The flight instructor announced to the student pilot that he was taking control of the airplane. Despite the flight instructor’s attempts to level the wings and gain air speed to begin a climb, the left wing of the airplane impacted a stationary unoccupied airplane. The flight instructor added that in subsequent discussions with the student pilot, the student pilot informed him that he did not hear the flight instructor announce that he was taking control and never relinquished control of the airplane. The flight instructor stated that "at full power," the engine noise was "high enough to make communication impossible." Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the left and right wings were structurally damaged. The inspector reported that flight control continuity was established throughout the airplane to all primary flight controls. The reported wind at the time of the accident was 250 degrees for 8 knots, which equates to a right crosswind component of 8 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, after completing a series of maneuvers in the local practice area, he had the student pilot enter the traffic pattern for runway 16. The student pilot was to execute a low approach above the runway and then go around. During the low approach as the airplane passed midfield, the right wing of the airplane began to lift up, and the airplane veered to the left of the runway. The student added full power. The flight instructor stated that he announced to the student pilot that he was taking control of the airplane. Despite the flight instructor’s attempts to level the wings and gain air speed to begin a climb, the left wing of the airplane impacted a stationary unoccupied airplane. The flight instructor added that in subsequent discussions with the student pilot, the student pilot informed him that he did not hear the flight instructor announce that he was taking control and never relinquished control of the airplane. The flight instructor stated that "at full power," the engine noise was "high enough to make communication impossible." Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the left and right wings were structurally damaged. The inspector reported that flight control continuity was established throughout the airplane to all primary flight controls. The reported wind at the time of the accident was 250 degrees for 8 knots, which equates to a right crosswind component of 8 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7095K
- Reported as
- Smith Albert F Challenger TWO
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CH2 0193-0942
- Airframe hours
- 174
- Engine
- Hirth 2703, 55 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Angel Wings Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Angel Wings Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 8, 2009 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- W20 · Moses Lake, WA
- Destination
- W20 · Moses Lake, WA
- Airport
- W20 · Moses Lake Municipal, runway 16, 2,513 × 50 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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 10, 2008
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,826 total · 171 in this make and model · 1,801 as pilot in command · 77 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 25 total · 18 in this make and model · 0 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- KMWH, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 699 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.