What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On March 20, 2001, at 1000 hrs. MST, a Piper PA-28-181, N4188E, landed short of runway 4 at the Gila Bend Municipal Airport, Gila Bend, Arizona. The airplane was operated by sabena airline training center as an instructional flight under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, and was substantially damaged. The CFI and two students were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight. The flight was originating at the time and was scheduled to terminate at the scottsdale, AZ, airport. No flight plan was filed. The purpose of the flight was to practice engine out approaches and landings. On short final, the CFI saw that the airspeed was too slow. The airplane stalled and landed about 100 yards short of the runway. During the landing rollout the stabilizer struck a tree and the airplane came to rest in a ditch. (-23) see attached pilot statement (.4) during a simulated engine out procedure the airplane landed short of the runway in desert terrain colliding with brush and coming to rest in a ditch. The purpose of the flight was to conduct simulated engine out landings . Both pilots estimated the wind as coming down the runway about 5-10 knots. The student had landed two previous times with no problems noted by him or the CFI. On the third landing the CFI simulated an engine out. When the student entered onto the final leg of the approach he noted that the winds had increased, or were stronger than expected. He informed the CFI that he was not going to add the second notch of flaps because of the increased drag. On short final he estimated that at his current altitude and airspeed, with the given wind condition, he would not be able to make the landing. He called out a go-around, and was instructed to continue the approach. The CFI then added the second notch of flaps. He adjusted his airspeed to compensate for the increased drag and noted that the airplane was rapidly losing altitude. He called out for a go-around and advanced the throttle full forward; however, the airplane continued to sink. The CFI thought they had encountered a wind shear event, from a straight headwind to no wind at all.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON MARCH 20, 2001, AT 1000 HRS. MST, A PIPER PA-28-181, N4188E, LANDED SHORT OF RUNWAY 4 AT THE GILA BEND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, GILA BEND, ARIZONA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY SABENA AIRLINE TRAINING CENTER AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE CFI AND TWO STUDENTS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME AND WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT THE SCOTTSDALE, AZ, AIRPORT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PRACTICE ENGINE OUT APPROACHES AND LANDINGS. ON SHORT FINAL, THE CFI SAW THAT THE AIRSPEED WAS TOO SLOW. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND LANDED ABOUT 100 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT THE STABILIZER STRUCK A TREE AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A DITCH. (-23) SEE ATTACHED PILOT STATEMENT (.4) DURING A SIMULATED ENGINE OUT PROCEDURE THE AIRPLANE LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN DESERT TERRAIN COLLIDING WITH BRUSH AND COMING TO REST IN A DITCH. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CONDUCT SIMULATED ENGINE OUT LANDINGS . BOTH PILOTS ESTIMATED THE WIND AS COMING DOWN THE RUNWAY ABOUT 5-10 KNOTS. THE STUDENT HAD LANDED TWO PREVIOUS TIMES WITH NO PROBLEMS NOTED BY HIM OR THE CFI. ON THE THIRD LANDING THE CFI SIMULATED AN ENGINE OUT. WHEN THE STUDENT ENTERED ONTO THE FINAL LEG OF THE APPROACH HE NOTED THAT THE WINDS HAD INCREASED, OR WERE STRONGER THAN EXPECTED. HE INFORMED THE CFI THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO ADD THE SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED DRAG. ON SHORT FINAL HE ESTIMATED THAT AT HIS CURRENT ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED, WITH THE GIVEN WIND CONDITION, HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE LANDING. HE CALLED OUT A GO-AROUND, AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH. THE CFI THEN ADDED THE SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS. HE ADJUSTED HIS AIRSPEED TO COMPENSATE FOR THE INCREASED DRAG AND NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS RAPIDLY LOSING ALTITUDE. HE CALLED OUT FOR A GO-AROUND AND ADVANCED THE THROTTLE FULL FORWARD; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO SINK. THE CFI THOUGHT THEY HAD ENCOUNTERED A WIND SHEAR EVENT, FROM A STRAIGHT HEADWIND TO NO WIND AT ALL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4188E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.