Summary
On June 16, 2011, a Piper PA-28-161 (N434K) was involved in an incident near Goodyear, AZ. All 3 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The flight instructor's delayed remedial action and failure to maintain lateral control.
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.
This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR11CA298. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N434K.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The flight instructor's delayed remedial action and failure to maintain lateral control.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
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.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR11CA298