What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On January 11, 1999, at 0744 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-181, N4129S, operated by the airline training center Arizona, inc., collided with a residential service power line and an unoccupied house during a practice forced landing near Arlington, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the instructional flight, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed, and the certified flight instructor, who held an airline transport pilot certificate, received minor injuries. The private pilot, who was receiving a post-certification progress check, and the passenger were not injured. The flight originated from goodyear, Arizona, about 0700. The operator estimated that the initial point of impact occurred over the house approximately 800 feet mean sea level (MSL), and about 12 feet above ground level. The location was about 550 feet short of the approach end of a dirt airstrip used by crop dusters. According to the flight instructor, he initiated the simulated total loss of engine power approaching the airstrip at 2,000 feet MSL. The student was handling the flight controls and proceeded toward the airstrip. The instructor reported that seconds prior to the collision he directed that a go-around be initiated, and the student applied full engine power. (.4)the certified flight instructor (CFI) was familiar with the area, and he initiated a simulated total loss of engine power and practice forced landing for his student as they approached a crop duster airstrip. The dirt airstrip is located on a small bluff, and approaching it they encountered a downdraft. The student reset the wing flaps from 40 to 25 degrees; however, the airplane descended below the desired glide path. The CFI allowed the student to continue approaching the airstrip. The CFI directed that a go-around be initiated, and engine power was rapidly applied. Seconds later, the airplane impacted a residential service power line and an unoccupied house as the power was increasing. The airplane came to rest about 550 short of the airstrip. The operator, who employed the CFI, reported that it had provided the CFI with written guidance regarding the minimum altitude at which go-arounds were to be initiated during the practice of simulated forced landings. In pertinent part, the operator's procedures and techniques manu al stated the following: 'every go around from a simulated engine failure shall be performed by the student prior to 500 feet AGL if not approaching a paved runway.' (-23)during an instructional flight the student maneuvered for a simulated engine failure approach an the instructor took over the flight controls just before impacting a building and coming to rest just beyond the impact point.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JANUARY 11, 1999, AT 0744 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-181, N4129S, OPERATED BY THE AIRLINE TRAINING CENTER ARIZONA, INC., COLLIDED WITH A RESIDENTIAL SERVICE POWER LINE AND AN UNOCCUPIED HOUSE DURING A PRACTICE FORCED LANDING NEAR ARLINGTON, ARIZONA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED, AND THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WHO HELD AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS RECEIVING A POST-CERTIFICATION PROGRESS CHECK, AND THE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM GOODYEAR, ARIZONA, ABOUT 0700. THE OPERATOR ESTIMATED THAT THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT OCCURRED OVER THE HOUSE APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), AND ABOUT 12 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE LOCATION WAS ABOUT 550 FEET SHORT OF THE APPROACH END OF A DIRT AIRSTRIP USED BY CROP DUSTERS. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, HE INITIATED THE SIMULATED TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER APPROACHING THE AIRSTRIP AT 2,000 FEET MSL. THE STUDENT WAS HANDLING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND PROCEEDED TOWARD THE AIRSTRIP. THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT SECONDS PRIOR TO THE COLLISION HE DIRECTED THAT A GO-AROUND BE INITIATED, AND THE STUDENT APPLIED FULL ENGINE POWER. (.4)THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, AND HE INITIATED A SIMULATED TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND PRACTICE FORCED LANDING FOR HIS STUDENT AS THEY APPROACHED A CROP DUSTER AIRSTRIP. THE DIRT AIRSTRIP IS LOCATED ON A SMALL BLUFF, AND APPROACHING IT THEY ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT. THE STUDENT RESET THE WING FLAPS FROM 40 TO 25 DEGREES; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED BELOW THE DESIRED GLIDE PATH. THE CFI ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO CONTINUE APPROACHING THE AIRSTRIP. THE CFI DIRECTED THAT A GO-AROUND BE INITIATED, AND ENGINE POWER WAS RAPIDLY APPLIED. SECONDS LATER, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A RESIDENTIAL SERVICE POWER LINE AND AN UNOCCUPIED HOUSE AS THE POWER WAS INCREASING. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 550 SHORT OF THE AIRSTRIP. THE OPERATOR, WHO EMPLOYED THE CFI, REPORTED THAT IT HAD PROVIDED THE CFI WITH WRITTEN GUIDANCE REGARDING THE MINIMUM ALTITUDE AT WHICH GO-AROUNDS WERE TO BE INITIATED DURING THE PRACTICE OF SIMULATED FORCED LANDINGS. IN PERTINENT PART, THE OPERATOR'S PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES MANU AL STATED THE FOLLOWING: 'EVERY GO AROUND FROM A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE SHALL BE PERFORMED BY THE STUDENT PRIOR TO 500 FEET AGL IF NOT APPROACHING A PAVED RUNWAY.' (-23)DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT THE STUDENT MANEUVERED FOR A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE APPROACH AN THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK OVER THE FLIGHT CONTROLS JUST BEFORE IMPACTING A BUILDING AND COMING TO REST JUST BEYOND THE IMPACT POINT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.