NTSB CHI89LA067 — 1989-04-02 · ALLEGAN, Michigan, United States

Current FAA registration · N9504T

Make / Model: PIPER PA-38-112
Year of manufacture: 1978 · 11 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19780419
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S AD379D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N9504T Piper PA-38-112 None

Probable cause & findings

IMPROPER USE OF FLIGHT CONTROLS BY THE STUDENT PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE; AND THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S (CFI'S) INADEQUATE SUPERVISION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE CROSSWIND CONDITION, THE STUDENT PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE, THE CFI'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION, AND SOFT TERRAIN.

Factual narrative

THE CFI REPORTED THAT THE DUAL STUDENT PILOT INITIATED THE TAKEOFF ROLL WITH AILERON INTO THE WIND (LEFT AILERON), BUT THAT HE RELAXED AILERON PRESSURE PREMATURELY. WHEN INSTRUCTED TO INCREASE LEFT AILERON, THE STUDENT REACTED BY APPLYING LEFT RUDDER & LEFT BRAKE. AT THAT TIME, THE ACFT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE TRAVELING ABOUT 45 TO 50 MPH. THE ACFT SWERVED TO THE LEFT & THE CFI WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY, ENCOUNTERED 'SOFT GRASS' & WAS DAMAGED. THE STUDENT HAD ONLY 4 HRS OF FLT TIME. THE CFI HAD OBTAINED HIS CFI RATING ON 12/20/88 & HAD ACCUMULATED 82 HRS OF INSTRUCTION SINCE THAT TIME. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI89LA067.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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