Inverness Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Inverness, Florida 34436
Friday, March 21, 2008 12:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

During taxi, the "gear unsafe" light illuminated and would not extinguish. After the unsafe indication was reported to the operator, maintenance personnel discovered that the nose landing gear support structure including both the left and right gear well webs, were substantially damaged. According to the check pilot of a previous flight, he was giving a flight examination for a multiengine rating when during a landing, the student pilot landed hard and the right main landing gear tire "burst." The student and check pilot were unable to maintain directional control, the airplane departed the right side of the runway and the nose landing gear "dug in to the soft ground." A company mechanic replaced the right main landing gear tire as it "blew on landing." The right main landing gear was inspected after the runway excursion; however, no record of the nose gear being inspected was discovered.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The student pilot's improper landing flare and the flight examiner's inadequate remedial action.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/21/2008
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1200
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City Inverness
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 34436
Event Date Year 2008
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 284823N
Event Location Longitude 0821904W
Event Location Airport Inverness Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID X40
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 50
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1053 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID BKV
Elevation of weather observation facility 76
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 22
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 80
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.25
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) 24249
NTSB Notification Source Owner
NTSB Notification Date May 21 2008 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Sep 26 2008 6:40PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\lema
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Orlando, FL

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N730FT
NTSB Number NYC08CA190
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 Piper
Aircraft Model PA-44-180
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 447995190
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 Apr 1 2008 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 5953
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Abraxas Aircraft Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Kissimee
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 34741
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Orlando Flight Training
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Kissimmee
Operator State FL
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 34741
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 ISM
Departure City Kissimee
Departure State FL
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone --
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code X40
Destination City Inverness
Destination State FL
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 4 2008 9:03PM
User who most recently changed record grer
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location 01
Runway Length 3762
Runway Width 60
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --