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CEN20CA161

2020-04-26 · Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport FLY

Current FAA registration · N1598A

Make / Model
PIPER PA-20
Year of manufacture
1952 · 68 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-290 SERIES (140 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19561212
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A0EF0F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The flight instructor's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, and his subsequent loss of directional control.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he attempted a three-point, full stall landing, with a right-quartering crosswind of about 4 knots. During the touchdown there was a small bounce which the flight instructor described as minor and controllable. The airplane touched down again, and he applied further aft yoke which resulted in another small bounce and final touchdown. Once the airplane was on the runway, he applied full aft yoke, and the airplane immediately veered to the right and exited the runway. The flight instructor attempted to correct with full left rudder, but the airplane exited the right side of the runway and contacted terrain with the left wingtip and nose. The airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left aileron. Examination of the airplane revealed no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor reported that, while demonstrating a three-point, full-stall landing with a 4-knot right-quartering crosswind, the airplane bounced slightly but that it "seemed minor and controllable." The airplane touched down again, and he pulled the yoke further aft, which resulted in another small bounce. Once the airplane was on the runway, he pulled the yoke full aft, and the airplane immediately veered right off the runway. The instructor attempted to correct by applying full left rudder to no avail. The left wingtip and nose struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. A Federal Aviation Administer inspector and the pilot examined the airplane and found no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Instructor/check pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_CEN20CA161.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall). All research papers