Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Okeechobee County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Okeechobee, Florida 34972
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 16:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), the student pilot entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern and reduced the power to idle when the airplane was abeam the runway numbers in order to perform a power-off landing. The airplane slowed to glide speed, and the student pilot selected 10 degrees of flaps and turned onto the base leg. After turning onto final approach, the airplane's airspeed decreased to below 60 knots, and the CFI advised the student pilot to perform a go-around. The CFI then took control of the airplane to prevent an "imminent stall" and applied full power, but the airplane continued to descend. The airplane struck trees and a fence and then impacted the ground. The CFI subsequently reduced the power to idle and applied the brakes. However, the airplane struck another fence, turned 180 degrees, and came to rest in a grassy area to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage during the accident sequence. The CFI did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot's failure to maintain the proper glidepath during a power-off landing and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/21/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1615 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Okeechobee |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34972 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 271535N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0805101W |
| Event Location Airport | Okeechobee County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OBE |
| 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 | 34 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1555 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OBE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 34 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| 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) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 33 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.98 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | 211955Z AUTO 10007KT 10SM -TSRA BKN055 28/23 A2998 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29252 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern Region ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 27 2011 4:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9249L |
| NTSB Number | ERA11CA497 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-161 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2841257 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2325 |
| 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 | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 16 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 11787 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | VERO BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32960-1942 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | VERO BEACH |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32960-1942 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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 | -- |
| 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 | PHK |
| Departure City | Pahokee |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1538 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | OBE |
| Destination City | Okeechobee |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 10 2011 3:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 14 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |