Tuesday, February 02, 2021

Loss of Control on Ground: Piper PA-15 Vagabond, N4123H; accident occurred June 09, 2020 at Lancaster Regional Airport (KLNC), Dallas County, Texas






Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Antonio, Texas

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:


Location: Lancaster, TX 
Accident Number: CEN20CA222
Date & Time: 06/08/2020, 1930 CDT
Registration: N4123H
Aircraft: Piper PA 15
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional 

Analysis

The flight instructor stated that he was acting as a safety pilot for the newly certificated pilot, who was getting familiar with the airplane. They had flow five or six circuits around the traffic pattern and subsequently landed on runway 13. When the airplane was just above taxi speed, it began drifting to the right. The pilot used full left rudder and "stomped on the brake." The airplane veered to the left and then the right wingtip contacted the ground. The outboard one-quarter of the right wing was crumpled and the right main landing gear collapsed under the fuselage. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.

Findings

Aircraft Directional control - Not attained/maintained
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing-landing roll Loss of control on ground (Defining event)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline Transport; Flight Instructor
Age: 26, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied:
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Multi-engine; Airplane Single-engine
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 01/01/2020
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 24, Female
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Unknown
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 04/24/2020
Occupational Pilot:
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  150 hours (Total, all aircraft), 3 hours (Total, this make and model), 60 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N4123H
Model/Series: PA 15 No Series
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture:
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 15-6
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection:
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines:
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer:
ELT:
Engine Model/Series:
Registered Owner:  Byrd Bill W
Rated Power:
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KLNC
Distance from Accident Site:
Observation Time: 1915 CDT
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: Calm /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction:
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 29.59 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 34°C / 20°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Lancaster, TX (LNC)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Lancaster, TX (LNC)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time:  CDT
Type of Airspace: Unknown

Airport Information

Airport: Lancaster Rgnl (LNC)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 501 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 13
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 6500 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 32.580556, -96.720556 (est)

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like she panicked. Classic mistake by someone learning a tail dragger coming off a tricycle. You do not stomp on the brakes no matter your speed in a tail dragger. On landing rollout, you ground fly it with rudder and aileron and tap the brake(s) as necessary to assist direction. She's young and only has 3 hours in this, so hopefully she'll learn from it and quickly get back on the horse with a lesson learned.

    ReplyDelete