- Date
- August 19, 2009, 14:36 local (21:36 UTC)
- Place
- Mesa, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4177LPiper PA-28-181
- 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
- Case key
- 74559
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 directional control during landing.
Findings · 2
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 student pilot reported that during a crosswind landing just prior to the airplane’s nose wheel touching down, the airplane’s right wing rose and the airplane began to veer to the left. The airplane exited the runway to the left, impacted a runway sign, and ground looped. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the left main landing gear strut and the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that during a crosswind landing just prior to the airplane’s nose wheel touching down, the airplane’s right wing rose and the airplane began to veer to the left. The airplane exited the runway to the left, impacted a runway sign, and ground looped. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the left main landing gear strut and the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4177L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843210
- Airframe hours
- 14,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Sabena Airline Training Center, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Sabena Airline Training Center, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 3, 2009
- Departed
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Destination
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Airport
- FFZ · Falcon Field, runway 22L, 5,101 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 31 total · 31 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 102 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- KFFZ
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 680 KB in all.