Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush. Also causal was the certified flight instructor's inadequate supervision.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On April 3, 1999, about 1330 Eastern Standard Time, N2472N, a Piper PA-38-112, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground during takeoff from Harris Airport, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The CFI stated in a telephone interview that he and the student pilot had been performing touch and go landings, and emergency procedures at the Harris Airport. After touching down on "Runway S", a 1,500-foot long grass runway, the student pilot increased the throttle, and abruptly pulled back on the yoke. As the airplane climbed to about 20 feet above the runway, the stall warning horn began to sound, and the airplane became "mushy". The airplane began to settle back to the ground, and the CFI took over the controls. The airplane then impacted the ground, about 150 yards from the end of the runway, nose first, and sheared off the left wing.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC99LA087