N309PA

Substantial
None

PIPER PA-28-181S/N: 2843508

Accident Details

Date
Thursday, August 30, 2012
NTSB Number
WPR12CA380
Location
Wickenburg, AZ
Event ID
20120901X23947
Coordinates
33.970554, -112.794998
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
3
Total Aboard
3

Probable Cause and Findings

The flight instructor’s delayed response in correcting the student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
PIPER
Serial Number
2843508
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
2002
Model / ICAO
PA-28-181P28A
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1
Seats
4
FAA Model
PA-28-181

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
BIRD ACQUISITION LLC
Address
530 W DEER VALLEY RD STE 100
City
PHOENIX
State / Zip Code
AZ 85027-2143
Country
United States

Analysis

The flight instructor said that during a landing, the student pilot flared too high, and he took control of the airplane. The airplane landed hard, and the tail tie down hook was displaced into the fuselage. Although the instructor conducted a post flight inspection of the airplane, the damage was not discovered. The flight instructor performed the next takeoff, and he noticed that the elevator flight control was sluggish and minimally responsive. Additionally, the climb performance was poor. He landed the airplane without further incident. Another inspection of the airplane was performed, and the damage was discovered.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR12CA380