Piper PA-28R-201 N204ND accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota

Probable cause

The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the landing, which resulted in an inadequate flare and subsequent hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor reported that his student was practicing a simulated forced landing to a runway when the accident occurred. He stated that, after a firm touchdown, the airplane began to veer to the right. He noted that the right wing was lower than the left wing and his initial thought was that the right tire was flat. After coming to a stop, the airplane would not move forward without an excessive application of engine power. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear had collapsed rearward, with substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. Examination of the right main landing gear did not reveal any preimpact anomalies or failures that would have prevented normal operation. Interviews of recent flight crews did not reveal any hard landings that could have damaged the right main landing gear before the accident flight.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11LA390 for the full record.