PIPER PA 22-150
Talkeetna, AK — May 16, 2015
Event Information
| Date | May 16, 2015 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | ANC15CA026 |
| Event ID | 20150520X11113 |
| Location | Talkeetna, AK |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 62.44954, -149.78937 |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | PIPER |
| Model | PA 22-150 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The private pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a spruce tree during final approach, which resulted in a loss of control and hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's failure to adequately monitor the landing.
Full Narrative
The flight instructor and private pilot were practicing takeoffs and landings in a float-equipped airplane. The flight instructor stated that on the seventh approach to landing, the private pilot misjudged the airplane's rate of descent, and struck the top of a spruce tree with the right elevator resulting in a full up deflection of the elevator. The airplane entered an uncontrolled descent, and impacted the water in a flat stalled condition sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage and elevator. The flight instructor stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the flight instructor stated that having personally flown with the pilot he had developed a sense of complacency, and the accident may have been avoided if he had been more vigilant, or conducted a more thorough preflight briefing.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.