Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary LAX06CA295

Chandler, AZ, USA

Aircraft #1

N9067E

Beech A36

Analysis

The airplane veered off the runway and impacted a parked and unoccupied airplane on the ramp. The student pilot overshot the final approach course turn and was undershooting the runway with an excessive airspeed, and did not fully flare during the application of corrective control inputs, which ultimately resulted in a bounced landing. After bouncing, the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. The flight instructor attempted to regain control of the airplane, but failed to verbally announce an exchange of aircraft control from the student. The student added power, but the instructor pulled the power to idle and attempted to establish aircraft control. The airplane impacted a parked, unoccupied airplane on the airport ramp and came to rest. The instructor reported that calm winds existed at the time of the accident and that there were no anomalies with the aircraft.

Factual Information

On September 18, 2006, at 1100 mountain standard time, a Beech A36 airplane, N9067E, veered from the runway during landing and impacted a parked, unoccupied airplane at the Chandler Municipal Airport (CHD), Chandler, Arizona. The airplane was substantially damaged and the certificated flight instructor and the private pilot under instruction were not injured. The airplane was operated by the Mesa Pilot Development, Inc., Mesa, Arizona, under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed for the local flight that originated from the Williams Gateway Airport (IWA) at 0930. The student was an instrument rated private pilot who was finishing his commercial pilot training. According to the flight instructor's written statement, they were landing at CHD to refuel before returning to IWA. Air traffic control cleared the flight to land on runway 22R, and as the flight was on base leg, the instructor noted that they were 100 feet low and 10 knots fast. As the student (who was positioned in the right seat) flew the airplane from the base leg to final approach, the airplane overshot the runway to the right and remained low. The instructor had the student maneuver the airplane back to the left and level off so they could re-intercept the final approach centerline. The instructor noted the airplane was low and fast (airspeed indicated 80 knots on short final), and the student added "little-to-no flare" before landing. The airplane touched down and bounced before veering "sharply to the right." The instructor indicated there was no "verbal communication" established for the exchange of flight control, and as a result, she believed they were both attempting to control the airplane. The student added power and the instructor yelled "No!" and placed the throttle to idle and attempted to establish directional control. The airplane then collided with a parked airplane on the ramp and came to rest. The student's written statement was consistent with that of the instructor's. The wind was reported as calm by the flight instructor and she reported no anomalies with the airplane. An examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) inspector revealed no anomalies with the rudder or braking systems. The FAA defines a stabilized approach as "maintaining a stable speed, descent rate, vertical flight path and configuration." The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), in part, indicates that an approach is stabilized when all of the following criteria are met: "1. The aircraft is on the correct flight path, 2. Only small changes in heading/pitch are required to maintain the correct flight path, 3. The aircraft is not more than 20 knots (indicated) greater than the reference landing speed and not less than that reference landing speed. 4. The aircraft is in the correct landing configuration..." In addition, the FSF recommends that if an approach becomes unstabilized below 500 feet above the airplane elevation in visual conditions an immediate go-around should be conducted.

Probable Cause and Findings

the student's failure to establish a stabilized approach, which resulted in a bounced landing and a loss of directional control. Also causal was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight, delayed remedial action, and failure to verbally announce the exchange of airplane control during the attempted recovery.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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