NTSB Factual Report

On December 11, 2013, at 1105 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-22-108, N5386Z, nosed-over and impacted runway 24 (11,800 feet by 200 feet, grooved asphalt) during landing at Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport (OSC), Oscoda, Michigan. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing and wing strut. The student pilot was uninjured. The airplane was registered to CAT Flight Training LLC and operated by an individual doing business as Comprehensive Aviation Training under 14 CFR Part 91 as an instructional flight that was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the supervised student solo flight that originated from OSC at 1010.

The flight instructor, who was also the operator, stated that a Flight Service Station weather briefing through 1-800- WXBRIEF for the flight was obtained at 0905. He and the student pilot departed Iosco County Airport (6D9) East Tawas, Michigan at 0915 and flew to OSC. The flight instructor stated that he released the student for his second supervised solo at 0950 after a check of the weather. The flight instructor stated that the winds were 250 degrees at 10 knots with similar forecasts by MBS International Airport (MBS), Saginaw, Michigan and Alpena County Regional Airport (APN), Alpena, Michigan.

The student pilot stated that during his first approach for a solo landing at OSC, he listened to the OSC Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) and it reported winds from 270 degrees at 11 knots, gusting 18 knots. He said that the winds were 250 degrees at 10 knots when he departed. He said that the landing had a normal touchdown, but a second or two after touchdown, the right wing lifted up. He saw the airplane nose veer left and applied right rudder. The airplane started to veer more left and began to nose-over. He applied full right aileron, but the airplane continued to nose-over and impacted the runway surface.

There was one weather briefing requested by and provided to the student pilot on December 10, 2013, at 0903 for a training flight departing from 6DY to OSC. The student pilot advised that the departure time would be in 30 minutes with an estimated time en route of 2 hours. Lockheed Martin Flight Services did not provide a weather briefing for N5386Z on December 11, 2013.

The Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) Amendment for APN, located 38 nautical miles northwest of OSC, issued on December 11, 2013, at 0820, valid from December 11, 2013 at 0800 to December 12, 2013 at 0700, stated in part, temporary conditions from 0800 to 1000: wind – 270 degrees at 11 knots, gust – 18 knots.

The TAF for MBS, located 62.6 nautical miles south-southwest of OSC, issued on December 11, 2013, at 0632, valid from December 11, 2013 at 0700 to December 12, 2013 at 0700, stated in part, wind – 270 degrees at 14 knots. From 1100, wind – 290 degrees at 15 knots.

The OSC AWOS recorded the following:

At 0954: wind – 240 degrees at 11 knots

At 1013: wind – 260 degrees at 12 knots

At 1034: wind – 260 degrees at 15 knots, gust 19 knots

At 1054: wind – 270 degrees at 15 knots, gust 21 knots

At 1113: wind – 270 degrees at 13 knots, gust 22 knots

The operator reported that there was no mechanical malfunction/failure with the airplane.

NTSB Probable Cause

The student pilot’s loss of control during landing in gusting wind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to land with gusting wind.