No fatalities

7 Aug 2013: PIPER PA-28-180 — Clare, MI

Clare, MI, United States

On 7 Aug 2013, a PIPER PA-28-180 was involved in an aviation accident near Clare, MI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor's failure to adequately monitor the landing approach, his delayed corrective action and his failure to maintain directional control that resulted in the airplane's collision with a ditch adjacent to the runway. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a landing approach, a flight instructor took control from a student pilot to perform a go-around, but the airplane settled into tall grass and then struck a ditch bank, sustaining substantial damage.

Incident Overview

A flight instructor and a student pilot were conducting a training flight. During the landing approach, the airplane was flying low and slow, and drifting to the left of the runway. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and attempted a go-around maneuver. However, the airplane settled into tall grass to the left of the runway.

Student Pilot's Account

The student pilot reported that during the approach, the flight instructor commented that the approach speed was too low. At that point, the instructor took control and initiated the go-around. According to the student, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left side of the runway, where it touched down and bounced. The airplane then impacted the side of a ditch bank and came to a stop.

Instructor's Account

The flight instructor stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. The instructor did not provide additional details regarding the cause of the accident.

Damage Assessment

The airplane sustained substantial damage, including a separated landing gear, damage to the firewall, and bending of the aft fuselage.

Contributing factors

Causes

Instructor/check pilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Descent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintainedStudent pilot