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GAA18CA324

2018-06-04 · Talkeetna, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N7257D

Make / Model
PIPER PA-22-150
Year of manufacture
1957 · 61 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19570329
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A9B970

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The flight instructor’s improper landing flare and failure to maintain a proper descent rate during approach, which resulted in a hard landing.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor reported that, during approach at a low level, due to "wind shear" the airplane had a sudden altitude loss. The pilot increased the engine power to full but the tailwheel equipped airplane touched down "harder than normal." The airplane impacted the airstrip with a side load; the left wing and left landing gear separated. The airplane slid to a stop and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The instructor pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to the instructor, "wind shear conditions" were present on the approach. The pilot reported the wind from 180 degrees, light and variable at 7 to 10 knots. The automated weather observation station located on the airport about 8 nautical miles away reported that the wind was from 200° at 9 knots; visibility at 10 SM; cloud condition few at 11,000 ft. AGL; temperature 61°F; dew point 39°F; and barometric setting of 29.80 inches Hg. The flight instructor reported that, during approach at a low level, due to "wind shear," the tailwheel-equipped airplane suddenly lost altitude. The instructor increased the engine power to full, but the airplane touched down "harder than normal." The airplane impacted the airstrip with a side load, and the left wing and left landing gear separated from the airplane, which then slid to a stop and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The instructor reported that the wind was from 180° and light and variable at 7 to 10 knots. 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-Descent rate-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_2018_GAA18CA324.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

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