No fatalities

25 Jun 2019: Piper PA28 161 — Trident Aircraft — Milton, FL

Milton, FL, United States

On 25 Jun 2019, a Piper PA28 161 operated by Trident Aircraft was involved in an aviation accident near Milton, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor's intentional overapplication of rudder to avoid a ditch during landing with a tailwind, which resulted in a runway excursion and landing gear collapse. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 14 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A flight instructor landing a training airplane after an instructional flight encountered windshear and landed fast. The airplane overran the runway, and to avoid a ditch, she turned left, collapsing the right main landing gear. Both wings sustained substantial damage.

Accident Overview

A flight instructor, returning to the departure airport after conducting an instructional flight, noticed deteriorating weather and decided to perform the landing herself. During the approach, she felt windshear and flew the airplane approximately 5 to 10 knots faster than normal. On touchdown, she reported feeling a strong push from behind that accelerated the airplane rapidly. She applied full brakes, but the airplane continued moving forward, departing the end of the runway.

Concerned that the airplane would impact a deep ditch, the instructor turned the airplane to the left. This maneuver resulted in the collapse of the right main landing gear, and the airplane came to rest on the grass.

Damage and Mechanical Condition

The airplane sustained substantial damage to both the left and right wings. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Conditions

An automated weather observation station located 4 miles north of the accident site reported that, about 11 minutes after the accident, the wind was calm with light thunderstorm rain. The airplane was landing on runway 18. Additionally, at 45 minutes past the hour, thunderstorms and cumulonimbus clouds were reported in the area, with peak wind gusts from 240 degrees at 29 knots.

Contributing factors

Causes

Capability exceededInstructor/check pilotEffect on operation

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome