Piper PA-23-250 N303AT

Summary

On 19 February 1994 at about 04:45 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered N303AT, operated by Proflight, Inc., was involved in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 February 1994 at 04:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Las Vegas-Sky Harbor (L15)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-250

Registration

N303AT

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Proflight, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX94LA127

Nobody was injured.

THE CFI'S IMPROPER REMEDIAL ACTION BY FAILING TO GO-AROUND INSTEAD OF LANDING, THE CFI'S EXCESSIVE TOUCHDOWN SPEED, AND HIS FAILURE TO OBTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. THE DUAL STUDENT'S INITIAL EXCESSIVE AIRSPEED AND THE DITCH WERE FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE FLIGHT WAS RETURNING TO ITS HOME BASE AFTER A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL SESSION. THE DUAL STUDENT WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND ALLOWED ITS FINAL APPROACH FLIGHT PATH TO BECOME TOO LOW AND FAST. THE CFI ASSUMED THE CONTROLS AND EXECUTED A GO-AROUND AND REENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE CFI RELINQUISHED THE CONTROLS TO THE STUDENT AFTER EXPLAINING WHAT THE STUDENT HAD DONE WRONG. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE'S AIRSPEED WAS TOO FAST. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 1/4 MILE FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, THE CFI ASSUMED THE CONTROLS, BUT DID NOT EXECUTE A GO-AROUND. INSTEAD, THE CFI RETARDED THE THROTTLES AND LANDED ABOUT 1/3 BEYOND THE END OF THE RUNWAY AT A HIGH AIRSPEED. THE CFI DID NOT BELIEVE HE HAD SUFFICIENT RUNWAY REMAINING TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND AND HE ATTEMPTED TO STOP BUT THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, THE AIRPLANE LANDED WITH AN EQUIVALENT DIRECT TAILWIND OF 6 KNOTS. THE APPROACH CONTROL REPORTED THE SURFACE WINDS TO BE A LEFT QUARTERING HEADWIND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.