Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Palmer Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Palmer, Alaska 99645
Friday, November 9, 2007 18:23 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) was providing flight instruction to a student pilot. While on a northerly approach to the runway, during dark night conditions, the CFI said he inadvertently allowed the student pilot to descend too steeply, and with a high airspeed. His verbal command for the student to stop the excessive descent and slow the airspeed was initially followed, but the student pilot again allowed the airplane to attain a rapid descent rate and high airspeed as the approach continued. The CFI took control of the airplane, added full engine power, and initiated a go-around. During the attempted go-around, the CFI said he encountered severe windshear. He wrote, in part: "I felt the aircraft had gotten into a severe vertical windshear, and no amount of power we had available was stopping the rate of descent, and we hit the ground." The airplane collided with a stand of trees and came to rest inverted, about 300 yards short of the approach end of the runway, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. At the time of the accident wind conditions were reported to be 350 degrees (true) at 9 knots. An FAA airworthiness inspector reported that during his postaccident inspection of the airplane, no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane were discovered. Due to the absence of any mechanical problems with the airplane, the dark night conditions, and the relatively light winds reported at the time of the accident, it is probable that the accident could have been prevented if the CFI had provided better supervision of the student and initiated a go-around sooner.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student, and his delayed go-around. Contributing to the accident was dark night conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/9/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1823 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Palmer |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99645 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 613541N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1490519W |
| Event Location Airport | PALMER MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PAQ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 242 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 242 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8500 |
| 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) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 28.88 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23570 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ANC FAA, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 9 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 28 2008 12:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Anchorage FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N11764 |
| NTSB Number | ANC08LA018 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15075619 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Michael R. Poston |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Anchorage |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99516 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Pegasus Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Palmer |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99645 |
| 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 | 4AK6 |
| Departure City | Palmer |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1815 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PAQ |
| Destination City | Palmer |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 1 2008 2:25AM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 6009 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |