Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Massey Ranch Airpark Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New Smyrna, Florida 32132
Sunday, March 18, 2012 16:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a flight to prepare for his initial flight instructor check ride, the commercial pilot performed a 180-degree power-off approach and landing. During the landing, he flared the airplane about 10 feet above the runway. The airplane dropped and landed hard. After taking off again, the pilot attempted to raise the landing gear, but it would not retract completely, so he put the landing gear back down, performed another 180-degree power-off approach, landed, and then taxied to the ramp. After parking, he and the flight instructor who was sitting in the left seat noticed that they could not open the door to exit the airplane because the door handle was broken. After having someone open the door from the outside so that they could exit the airplane, they noticed that the airplane's right wing had been damaged during the hard landing. Postaccident examination revealed that the wing was substantially damaged. During a postaccident interview with the flight instructor, he stated that, during the flight, the commercial pilot was the "full manipulator of the controls" and that "I did not do anything."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/18/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | New Smyrna |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32132 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 285844N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0805530W |
| Event Location Airport | Massey Ranch Airpark |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | X50 |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EVB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 10 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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) | 30634 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Orlando FAA/FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 5 2012 12:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N15764 |
| NTSB Number | ERA12CA242 |
| 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-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7335089 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 19 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7837 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LEYVA JOSE LUIS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2455 CLAIRE AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEW SMYRNA BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32168-8209 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Flight Training Express |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 435 Airpark Rd. |
| Operator City | Edgewater |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32123 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | X50 |
| Departure City | New Smyrna |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | X50 |
| Destination City | New Smyrna |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 16 2012 11:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 3852 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |