Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28-140 near Danville, PA — 2009-05-11

Final reportERA09CA287
Sign in to save
Date
2009-05-11
Location
Danville, PA, USA
Airport
8N8
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28-140
Registration
N8403R
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain control during a landing.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot was landing at the conclusion of a cross-country solo flight. He reported that he encountered windshear about 3 feet above Runway 27, which caused a loss of control and he touched down on the nosewheel. A certificated flight instructor, who witnessed the accident, stated that the airplane was "about 20-30 feet" and began an "abrupt descent." The airplane impacted the runway hard. The impact resulted in a serious injury to the student pilot and minor damage to the airplane. The winds reported at an airport 12 miles southwest of the accident location, about the time of the accident, were variable from 330 degrees to 060 degrees at 7 knots. Neither the student pilot nor a Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported any preexisting mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane. The student pilot reported 87 hours of flight experience in the same make and model as the accident airplane.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

Related mishaps