The flight instructor reported that, while the student pilot was practicing crosswind landings with the instructor shadowing on the flight controls, he emphasized the importance of maintaining crosswind correction and suggested beginning the landing flare closer to the runway at the airport in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The student flared too early and ballooned. The Diamond DA20 drifted left in a “nose high, low airspeed situation.”
The instructor called for a go-around and attempted to take control. The student maintained a “very strong grip” on the control stick, and the instructor was unable to make any significant control inputs, he told investigators. The airplane landed and then skidded off the left side of the runway and hit runway lights.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.
The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The airport’s automated weather observation station reported that, about eight minutes after the accident, the wind was from 080° at 11 knots, gusting to 19 knots. The student pilot landed the airplane on Runway 05.
Probable Cause: The student pilot’s failure to maintain the runway heading and to relinquish the flight controls to the flight instructor when told to do so while landing in gusting, crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with runway lighting.
This June 2019 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Don’t overlook that it could be an instructor screwup, and the student was blamed.
What do you mean by “could be an instructor screw up”? Who do you think the pilot in command was? It was 100% instructor pilot error. The NTSB “probable cause” finding citing student pilot error does not relieve the instructor responsibility for the safety of the flight or absolve the instructor for failing in his responsibilities as pilot in command.
Don’t overlook to what avail, it’s done.
And many instructors can be easily overcome by a panicked student.
Was told taking away their sight works mostly all the time…it’s hard to fly when you cannot see. Just cover their eyes!
This is very effective and perhaps the best tactic with a mismatch in size between student and CFI.
When I was trading for my CFI my instructor advised that a karate strike to the Adams Apple always worked.
He was an Army Air Corps pilot during WWII.
I was careful to do it correctly o gr8 relinquish the controls quickly. But neither was ever necessary.
In over 50 years of flying I’ve only hit a student in the cockpit once. The high time, big iron, ex-mil aviator was transitioning to civilian life and working on his CFI. Back in the ’70s a CFI candidate had to demonstrate a 2-turn spin and recovery within 10 degrees of entry heading. With him in the right seat, he locked up in a school 150. Between the 3rd and 4th turns I had to smack him on the left wrist pretty good to get his attention back in the cockpit and unlock. He had been driving C-123, C-130, and B-52 most of his time in service and swore this was his first real spin after we got back on the ground. He eventually became real good at the maneuver and became a good instructor, but the first spin was exciting.
All of the briefing in the world won’t overcome a student ‘locking up’ when the CFI tries to take the controls. Fortunately it happens so seldom that it rarely becomes an issue.
Not too much you can do about this sorta situation. Really unfortunate. Some students are “fighters” on the controls and some give up. This one was clearly a fighter on the controls.