NTSB Identification: GAA16CA077
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, December 10, 2015 in California, MD
Probable Cause Approval Date: 03/14/2016
Aircraft: PIPER PA 28, registration: N432FL
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The flight instructor reported that during the student pilot's first night flight, the lesson was to familiarize the student with flying at night, and included takeoffs and landings. The flight instructor reported that during landing, the student pilot held the approach path "for a while" then drifted below the approach path, as indicated by the visual approach slope indicator. The flight instructor told the student that he needed to climb and reestablish the airplane on the approach path.
The flight instructor reported that subsequently he (the instructor) "became confused" and could not determine the airplane's position relative to the runway. The flight instructor reported that he "snapped out of the condition", but the airplane collided with trees and impacted the ground short of the runway before a recovery could be made. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
--> The student pilot's descent below the prescribed final approach path at night, and flight instructor's failure to correct the student pilot's descent, which resulted in a collision with trees and impact with the ground.
http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20151214X64447&key=1
The original accident report is here: https://www.scribd.com/doc/305946675/NTSB-Accident-Report-15-DEC-2015-St-Mary-s-Co-Airport
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, December 10, 2015 in California, MD
Probable Cause Approval Date: 03/14/2016
Aircraft: PIPER PA 28, registration: N432FL
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The flight instructor reported that during the student pilot's first night flight, the lesson was to familiarize the student with flying at night, and included takeoffs and landings. The flight instructor reported that during landing, the student pilot held the approach path "for a while" then drifted below the approach path, as indicated by the visual approach slope indicator. The flight instructor told the student that he needed to climb and reestablish the airplane on the approach path.
The flight instructor reported that subsequently he (the instructor) "became confused" and could not determine the airplane's position relative to the runway. The flight instructor reported that he "snapped out of the condition", but the airplane collided with trees and impacted the ground short of the runway before a recovery could be made. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
--> The student pilot's descent below the prescribed final approach path at night, and flight instructor's failure to correct the student pilot's descent, which resulted in a collision with trees and impact with the ground.
http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20151214X64447&key=1
The original accident report is here: https://www.scribd.com/doc/305946675/NTSB-Accident-Report-15-DEC-2015-St-Mary-s-Co-Airport
