Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Flying U Ranch Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Union Mills, Indiana 46382
Sunday, February 1, 2009 12:30 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot departed on an introductory instructional flight towards a training area where they performed basic flight maneuvers. They then flew to an airport where the CFI demonstrated a simulated forced landing which was to be followed by a go-around to a runway that was reportedly covered with about 12-14 inches of snow. During the demonstration, the CFI reduced engine power to idle from an altitude of 2,000 feet mean sea level and executed a descent to an altitude of about 5 - 6 feet above ground level at 60 knots indicated airspeed. The CFI did not increase engine throttle during this descent to clear the engine. The CFI applied full throttle during the go-around, but the engine hesitated and the airplane continued to descend. The main landing gear wheels followed by the airplane's nose contacted the snow. The left wing contacted the ground followed by the right wing.. Both wings buckled, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration Flight Training Handbook states in the section under 'Descents (Maximum Distance Glides)' that during power-off descents, the engine should be cleared periodically to prevent excessive cooling and fouling.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The certificated flight instructor's failure to follow correct engine clearing procedures. A factor was the unsuitable landing area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/1/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Union Mills |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 46382 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 412714N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0864732W |
| Event Location Airport | Flying U Ranch |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 4C1 |
| 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 | 740 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1153 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VPZ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.92 |
| 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) | 27955 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-AGL-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 1 2011 12:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | sulp |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N53576 |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA148 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | S |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172S9398 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 24 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3136 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Aerogramm LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 559 S Birky St |
| Aircraft Owner City | Breman |
| Aircraft Owner State | IN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 46506 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | J.S. Aviation Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4001 Murvhill Rd |
| Operator City | Valparaiso |
| Operator State | IN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 46383 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | VPZ |
| Departure City | Valparaso |
| Departure State | IN |
| 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 | VPZ |
| Destination City | Valparaso |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2009 8:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 2745 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |