- Date
- July 25, 2009, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hemet, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N918ZZAmerican Legend AL3
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- 20090725016139A
- Case key
- 74361
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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll and excessive use of the brakes.
Findings · 3
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 certificated flight instructor (CFI) was providing primary flight instruction to a student pilot in a tail wheel-equipped airplane. The CFI reported that he demonstrated the first landing, and the following landings were conducted by the student pilot. On the third landing, the airplane touched down on the main tires "straight, with no bounce." During the landing roll, while the tail wheel was still off the ground, the airplane veered slightly to the left and the student pilot applied left rudder. Subsequently, the airplane veered sharply to the left and the student pilot applied full brakes. The airplane exited the runway and nosed over. The airplane's wings and rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilots reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) was providing primary flight instruction to a student pilot in a tail wheel-equipped airplane. The CFI reported that he demonstrated the first landing, and the following landings were conducted by the student pilot. On the third landing, the airplane touched down on the main tires "straight, with no bounce." During the landing roll, while the tail wheel was still off the ground, the airplane veered slightly to the left and the student pilot applied left rudder. Subsequently, the airplane veered sharply to the left and the student pilot applied full brakes. The airplane exited the runway and nosed over. The airplane's wings and rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilots reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N918ZZ
- Reported as
- American Legend AL3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AL-1058
- Airframe hours
- 119
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Denney R. Marsh
- Registered owner
- Denney R. Marsh
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 24, 2008 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- HMT · Hemet, CA
- Destination
- HMT · Hemet, CA
- Airport
- HMT · Hemet-Ryan Airport, runway 23, 4,314 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2009
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 18,724 total · 14 in this make and model · 18,520 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 67 total · 13 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- RIV, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 540 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.