What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 1, 2016, the airman, exercising the privileges of a certified flight instructor certificate (CFI), was acting as pilot-in-command of a Beech BE-25-C33 debonair overseeing a student pilot with only 9 hours of flight time, was involved in an aircraft accident while landing at the Lawrence municipal airport, Lawrence Kansas (klwc). The aircraft departed runway 33 with intentions of practicing full stop landings at lwc airport. During final approach the student pilot got low and slow. The CFI waited for the student pilot to make the appropriate corrections. According to the CFI?s statement the student pilot was told to release back pressure. When the back pressure was released the nose of the aircraft dropped. Unknown to the CFI the aircraft was trimmed with almost full nose down. The aircraft was already too close to the ground and hit 5 medium approach runway lights when the nose dropped but never actually hit the ground. The CFI was able to add enough power to the engine and fly the aircraft onto runway 33 at klwc. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. Surface winds were less than five knots. The certified flight instructor and the student pilot were the only airmen on board the aircraft and did not sustain any injuries. The aircraft did not present any mechanical anomalies before or during the flight.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 1, 2016, THE AIRMAN, EXERCISING THE PRIVILEGES OF A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE (CFI), WAS ACTING AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND OF A BEECH BE-25-C33 DEBONAIR OVERSEEING A STUDENT PILOT WITH ONLY 9 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME, WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT WHILE LANDING AT THE LAWRENCE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LAWRENCE KANSAS (KLWC). THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 33 WITH INTENTIONS OF PRACTICING FULL STOP LANDINGS AT LWC AIRPORT. DURING FINAL APPROACH THE STUDENT PILOT GOT LOW AND SLOW. THE CFI WAITED FOR THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAKE THE APPROPRIATE CORRECTIONS. ACCORDING TO THE CFI?S STATEMENT THE STUDENT PILOT WAS TOLD TO RELEASE BACK PRESSURE. WHEN THE BACK PRESSURE WAS RELEASED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED. UNKNOWN TO THE CFI THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRIMMED WITH ALMOST FULL NOSE DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALREADY TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND HIT 5 MEDIUM APPROACH RUNWAY LIGHTS WHEN THE NOSE DROPPED BUT NEVER ACTUALLY HIT THE GROUND. THE CFI WAS ABLE TO ADD ENOUGH POWER TO THE ENGINE AND FLY THE AIRCRAFT ONTO RUNWAY 33 AT KLWC. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. SURFACE WINDS WERE LESS THAN FIVE KNOTS. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT PILOT WERE THE ONLY AIRMEN ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT AND DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT PRESENT ANY MECHANICAL ANOMALIES BEFORE OR DURING THE FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.