Greater Rockford Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Rockford, Illinois 61109
Thursday, December 8, 2005 12:00 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The airplane sustained substantial damage during a hard landing. The flight instructor and dual student were engaged in an instructional flight at the time of the accident. The flight instructor held a multi-engine airplane instructor rating and was providing training to the other pilot at the time of the accident. The dual student held a commercial pilot certificate with single and multi-engine airplane ratings, and a flight instructor certificate with a single-engine airplane rating. He was obtaining training in preparation for the multi-engine flight instructor rating at the time of the accident. The flight instructor stated that he intended for the student to execute a simulated forced landing on the remaining runway immediately after liftoff. He reported that he instructed the dual student to back taxi the full length of the runway. The tower subsequently cleared the flight for takeoff followed by an immediate landing. He noted that the dual student held the brakes and applied full engine power. Upon reaching full power, the student released the brakes and began the takeoff roll. After liftoff the student established the airplane in a climb at 88 [knots]. The instructor stated that upon reaching an altitude of 200 feet above ground level (agl), he instructed the student to "simultaneously reduce both throttles to idle while pitching for a landing attitude that maintain[ed] 88 [knots]. He reported that the resulting descent rate "did not appear favorable" so about 100 feet agl he "commanded" the dual student to execute a go-around. He noted that full engine power was applied, however, the descent continued until the airplane contacted the runway in a "flat attitude." It subsequently bounced back into the air. He recalled that the stall warning horn sounded shortly before runway contact. The flight instructor stated that he assumed control of the airplane at this point and decided to continue the go-around since the engines seemed to be producing full power. He noted that during the flight around the traffic pattern, the rudder and stabilator were "less responsive than usual." He subsequently executed a no-flap landing on the departure runway. A post accident inspection revealed that the fuselage skin on the left and right sides, forward of the windshield was buckled. The left main landing gear strut was bent aft approximately 90 degrees. Both engine propellers were in the feathered position. The blade tips were curled and twisted consistent with runway contact.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Failure of the commercial pilot (dual student) to maintain a proper descent rate and a safe airspeed during the simulated forced landing. Additional causes were the failure of the flight instructor and the dual student to initiate a go-around in sufficient time to prevent the hard landing and a failure by the flight instructor to provide timely remedial action, which allowed an unsafe condition to develop. A contributing factor was the inadvertent stall encountered prior to runway contact.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/8/2005
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1200
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City Rockford
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 61109
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 421143N
Event Location Longitude 0890550W
Event Location Airport Greater Rockford
Event Location Nearest Airport ID RFD
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 742
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1154 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID RFD
Elevation of weather observation facility 742
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 6000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -6
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.36
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 19329
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Dec 28 2005 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Mar 28 2006 1:55PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office FAA-DuPage FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2196B
NTSB Number CHI06CA054
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
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-44-180
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 44-7995102
Certified Max Gross Weight 3800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Nov 1 2005 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 7095
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Seminole Aviation Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Wheeling
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 60090
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Windy City Flyers
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Wheeling
Operator State IL
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 60090
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PWK
Departure City Chicago/Prospec
Departure State IL
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1050
Departure Time Zone CST
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 13 2006 5:22PM
User who most recently changed record DINC
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location 1
Runway Length 8199
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --