20090618009759I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-44-180 · Ellensburg, WA · June 18, 2009

Date
June 18, 2009 · 15:00 local
Place
Ellensburg, WA
Airport
Bowers Field
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
GGUS
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N520MS
Reported as
Piper PA44180
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,973 total851 in this make and model163 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) During a training flight with a student, instructor simulated failure of both engines in the pattern, instructing the student to accomplish an all engine out landing. This maneuver had not been briefed beforehand, and the student's response was slow, resulting in a late turn towards the runway. During the completion of the maneuver the instructor became pre-occupied with the student's airspeed control and wind correction, as well as other airport activity. As a result, he failed to ensure the gear was extended, resulting in a gear up landing. Instructor reported subsequently that all gear systems including warning horns were operating normally.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT WITH A STUDENT, INSTRUCTOR SIMULATED FAILURE OF BOTH ENGINES IN THE PATTERN, INSTRUCTING THE STUDENT TO ACCOMPLISH AN ALL ENGINE OUT LANDING. THIS MANEUVER HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED BEFOREHAND, AND THE STUDENT'S RESPONSE WAS SLOW, RESULTING IN A LATE TURN TOWARDS THE RUNWAY. DURING THE COMPLETION OF THE MANEUVER THE INSTRUCTOR BECAME PRE-OCCUPIED WITH THE STUDENT'S AIRSPEED CONTROL AND WIND CORRECTION, AS WELL AS OTHER AIRPORT ACTIVITY. AS A RESULT, HE FAILED TO ENSURE THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED, RESULTING IN A GEAR UP LANDING. INSTRUCTOR REPORTED SUBSEQUENTLY THAT ALL GEAR SYSTEMS INCLUDING WARNING HORNS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY.