Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Griffith Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Griffith, Indiana 46319
Saturday, April 15, 1989 15:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
UPON HIS RETURN FROM THE PRACTICE AREA, THE STUDENT PILOT ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM A FULL STOP LANDING ON RUNWAY 8 AT GRIFFITH, INDIANA. THE WIND WAS REPORTED TO BE 030 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS BY A WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY LOCATED 6 NM NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT. ON THE FIRST TWO ATTEMPTS, THE STUDENT PILOT ELECTED TO GO-AROUND BECAUSE HE WAS DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT TO LAND, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS USING PROPER CROSSWIND CORRECTIONS, AND FELT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY INTO A SANDY AREA, WHERE IT NOSED OVER.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE CROSSWIND CONDITION AND MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER IN SOFT TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE STUDENT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/15/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1520 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | GRIFFITH |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 46319 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | GRIFFITH |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 05C |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 635 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1449 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GYY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 591 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 643 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 15 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40153 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9223T |
| NTSB Number | CHI89LA074 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-38-112 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-38-112 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 38-78A0282 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1670 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 8 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2775 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GREAT NORTHERN ARCFT SALES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 730 E MAIN ST. SUITE 102 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BILLINGS |
| Aircraft Owner State | MT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 59105 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | GREAT NORTHERN AIRCRAFT SALES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 730 E. MAIN ST., SUITE 102 |
| Operator City | BILLINGS |
| Operator State | MT |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 59105 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 05C |
| Departure City | GRIFFITH |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1350 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 8 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |