- Date
- June 16, 2011, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Goodyear, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N434KPiper PA-28-161
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
- FAA report
- 20110616012409A
- Case key
- 80932
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 flight instructor's delayed remedial action and failure to maintain lateral control.
Findings · 4
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 certified flight instructor and his student were performing a soft field take off. He reported that while in ground effect after lift off the student was not applying sufficient right rudder to offset wind drift and the left turning tendency of the airplane due to P-factor and torque. As the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway, the flight instructor took over the flight controls. The flight instructor commented that he dropped the nose of the airplane to attain flying speed and inadvertently touched down on the left side of the runway. He then proceeded to takeoff and fly the lesson with the student. After returning to the airport at completion of the flight lesson, a visual inspection found that the right wing tip and aileron sustained substantial damage. According to an eyewitness, the right wing of the airplane appeared to have struck the ground when the airplane touched down. The pilots reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor and his student were performing a soft field take off. He reported that while in ground effect after liftoff the student was not applying sufficient right rudder to offset wind drift and the left turning tendency of the airplane due to P-factor and torque. As the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway, the flight instructor physically took over the flight controls. The flight instructor commented that he dropped the nose of the airplane to attain flying speed and inadvertently touched down on the left side of the runway. He then proceeded to takeoff and fly the lesson with the student. After returning to the airport at completion of the flight lesson, a visual inspection found that the right wing tip and aileron sustained substantial damage. According to an eyewitness, the right wing of the airplane appeared to have struck the ground when the airplane touched down. The pilots reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N434K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 288116028
- Airframe hours
- 12,278
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D4G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Oxford Airline Training Center Inc
- Registered owner
- Oxford Airline Training Center Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 10, 2011 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- KGYR · Goodyear, AZ
- Destination
- KGYR · Goodyear, AZ
- Airport
- KGYR · Goodyear Airport, runway 21, 8,500 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 28, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,820 total · 3,170 in this make and model · 3,720 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 45 total · 45 in this make and model · 5 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- KGYR
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 22, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB 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.