What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 21, 2002, about 1645 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N4332W, collided with a tree during a forced landing at an abandoned airstrip near queen creek, Arizona. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The certified flight instructor and student pilot were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane departed falcon field in mesa, Arizona, at about 1630 for the local flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed. According to the flight instructor, the student was simulating an engine-out procedure when a power failure occurred. The student had completed the checklist items and was lined up to land. The flight instructor directed the student to end the maneuver upon reaching 500 feet of altitude. The engine did not respond to the student's throttle input. The instructor took command of the airplane. They were at a low altitude when he decided to try and make the runway. He initiated a steep turn, but reduced the bank after the airspeed became too low. The airplane hit 6- to 7-feet high on a tree to the left of the abandoned runway. Then the airplane spun to the left and made runway contact, breaking off the right main and nose gear. The instructor reported having about 3 to 3.5 hours of fuel on board. Post crash findings revealed the propeller was twisted and bent forward at the tips. The left wing was buckled. (-23) the instructor pilot and student were practicing "emergency landing" techniques over an abandoned (paved) airstrip in queen creek, AZ (P40?), entering the exercise @ approx. 1000 ft. (AGL) by reducing engine power. At approx. 500 ft (AGL) the student applied the throttle but the engine did not respond much above 1500 RPM. The I.p. took command of the a/c at this point, and also could not get the engine to respond to higher rpm's. as the altitude decayed the I.p. headed to the abandoned air strip and banked to the left to align the a/c. however at approx. 6 ft (AGL) the a/c contacted a large bush/tree with it's l/h wing and spun the a/c sharply to the left. The a/c contacted the runway in a "crabbed" attitude, shearing off the nose & r/h main wheel assy's. the a/c came to rest approx. 200 ft from initial contact with the runway, out off to the l/h side approx. 5 ft. no injuries or f ire ensued.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 21, 2002, ABOUT 1645 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161, N4332W, COLLIDED WITH A TREE DURING A FORCED LANDING AT AN ABANDONED AIRSTRIP NEAR QUEEN CREEK, ARIZONA. THE PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE NOT INJURED; THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FALCON FIELD IN MESA, ARIZONA, AT ABOUT 1630 FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE STUDENT WAS SIMULATING AN ENGINE-OUT PROCEDURE WHEN A POWER FAILURE OCCURRED. THE STUDENT HAD COMPLETED THE CHECKLIST ITEMS AND WAS LINED UP TO LAND. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DIRECTED THE STUDENT TO END THE MANEUVER UPON REACHING 500 FEET OF ALTITUDE. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND TO THE STUDENT'S THROTTLE INPUT. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK COMMAND OF THE AIRPLANE. THEY WERE AT A LOW ALTITUDE WHEN HE DECIDED TO TRY AND MAKE THE RUNWAY. HE INITIATED A STEEP TURN, BUT REDUCED THE BANK AFTER THE AIRSPEED BECAME TOO LOW. THE AIRPLANE HIT 6- TO 7-FEET HIGH ON A TREE TO THE LEFT OF THE ABANDONED RUNWAY. THEN THE AIRPLANE SPUN TO THE LEFT AND MADE RUNWAY CONTACT, BREAKING OFF THE RIGHT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR. THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED HAVING ABOUT 3 TO 3.5 HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD. POST CRASH FINDINGS REVEALED THE PROPELLER WAS TWISTED AND BENT FORWARD AT THE TIPS. THE LEFT WING WAS BUCKLED. (-23) THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND STUDENT WERE PRACTICING "EMERGENCY LANDING" TECHNIQUES OVER AN ABANDONED (PAVED) AIRSTRIP IN QUEEN CREEK, AZ (P40?), ENTERING THE EXERCISE @ APPROX. 1000 FT. (AGL) BY REDUCING ENGINE POWER. AT APPROX. 500 FT (AGL) THE STUDENT APPLIED THE THROTTLE BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND MUCH ABOVE 1500 RPM. THE I.P. TOOK COMMAND OF THE A/C AT THIS POINT, AND ALSO COULD NOT GET THE ENGINE TO RESPOND TO HIGHER RPM'S. AS THE ALTITUDE DECAYED THE I.P. HEADED TO THE ABANDONED AIR STRIP AND BANKED TO THE LEFT TO ALIGN THE A/C. HOWEVER AT APPROX. 6 FT (AGL) THE A/C CONTACTED A LARGE BUSH/TREE WITH IT'S L/H WING AND SPUN THE A/C SHARPLY TO THE LEFT. THE A/C CONTACTED THE RUNWAY IN A "CRABBED" ATTITUDE, SHEARING OFF THE NOSE & R/H MAIN WHEEL ASSY'S. THE A/C CAME TO REST APPROX. 200 FT FROM INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY, OUT OFF TO THE L/H SIDE APPROX. 5 FT. NO INJURIES OR F IRE ENSUED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.