Piper PA-28-140 N6716J

Summary

On 25 September 2007 at about 21:15 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N6716J, operated by Brian K. Brooks, was involved in an accident near Chandler, Arizona, United States. 2 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

25 September 2007 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Chandler, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Stellar Airpark (P19)

Coordinates

33.2989, -111.9158

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N6716J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Brian K. Brooks

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chandler → Chandler

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA07CA273

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions while landing, which resulted in an undershoot and an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors associated with the accident were the downdraft, the uneven terrain, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that while on a one mile final approach to Runway 17 and coaching the student pilot on a short field landing, he noticed the airplane's descent rate was greater than 500 feet per minute. The flight instructor stated that he advised the student pilot to increase power, but the student seemed "slow" to add power. The flight instructor further stated, "As we were 300 feet before [the] threshold of Runway 17 we experienced a sinking feeling, [like] a downdraft or vertical wind shear, followed by the airplane's right main landing gear impacting the edge of the asphalt runway, which protrudes a foot higher than terrain at that site." The flight instructor reported that the impact displaced the right main landing gear backward as the airplane skidded to a stop about 1,000 feet down the runway. The pilot stated that damage to the airplane included the right main landing gear bent aft, a hole in the top of the right wing post to the fuel cell, damage to the right flap and right aileron, as well as the left side of the fuselage being wrinkled. The flight instructor stated that there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.