Piper PA-22-108 N5221Z

Summary

On 21 August 2002 at about 19:30 local time, a Piper PA-22-108 registered N5221Z was involved in an accident near Mayville, New York, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 August 2002 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Mayville, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Dart (D79)

Coordinates

42.2731, -79.4914

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-108

Registration

N5221Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

South Dayton → Mayville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC02FA173

1 person died.

The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude during the landing approach and the private pilot's inadequate supervision, which resulted in a collision with a marked utility pole. A factor in this accident was the student pilot's lack of experience.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was owned by the student pilot, who had accumulated approximately 26 hours of total flight experience, which included 24 hours in the accident airplane. He departed on a local flight with a private pilot who had accumulated approximately 605 hours of total flight experience, which included about 450 hours in make and model. The private pilot said the student pilot flew the majority of the flight, and was manipulating the controls during the accident. The student pilot entered the traffic pattern for landing on a 2,750-foot long, turf runway. According to the private pilot, the student pilot's first landing approach was "way too high" and resulted in a go-around. During the second landing attempt, the airplane "seemed right on glide slope," when it "suddenly dropped down" and impacted power lines. The private pilot stated he attempted to reach for the controls and apply engine power, but was too late. The airplane struck the top of a utility pole and power lines, which were located about 250 feet prior to, and in-line with the approach end of the runway. The utility pole was about 40 feet tall, and the wires were marked with "orange balls." The airplane flipped over and came to rest inverted on crops, about 140 feet from the approach end of the runway. The student pilot had not accumulated any "solo" flight experience. The student pilot's flight instructor stated she considered the student pilot a good pilot; however, she had not signed him off for solo flight because of his performance during landing attempts. They had been working on takeoffs and landing for about 6 hours, and she found the student pilot to get "very tense and real nervous" during landings. The private pilot further stated he had known the student pilot for about 30 years and was aware that the student pilot had been receiving flight instruction in the accident airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.