Piper PA-28R-200 N15764

Summary

On 18 March 2012 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 registered N15764, operated by Flight Training Express, was involved in an accident near New Smyrna, Florida, 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

18 March 2012 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

New Smyrna, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Massey Ranch Airpark (X50)

Coordinates

28.9789, -80.9250

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-200

Registration

N15764

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Flight Training Express

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Smyrna → New Smyrna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA242

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a flight to prepare for his initial flight instructor check ride, the commercial pilot performed a 180-degree power-off approach and landing. During the landing, he flared the airplane about 10 feet above the runway. The airplane dropped and landed hard. After taking off again, the pilot attempted to raise the landing gear, but it would not retract completely, so he put the landing gear back down, performed another 180-degree power-off approach, landed, and then taxied to the ramp. After parking, he and the flight instructor who was sitting in the left seat noticed that they could not open the door to exit the airplane because the door handle was broken. After having someone open the door from the outside so that they could exit the airplane, they noticed that the airplane's right wing had been damaged during the hard landing. Postaccident examination revealed that the wing was substantially damaged. During a postaccident interview with the flight instructor, he stated that, during the flight, the commercial pilot was the "full manipulator of the controls" and that "I did not do anything."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.