What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The assistant chief pilot of a FAA part 141 flight school was acting as pilot in command (PIC) during a required part 141 checkout flight with a newly hired flight instructor. The newly hired flight instructor was at the controls from the right seat returning to departure airport to demonstrate a short field landing. After descending to pattern altitude power was lost on both engines. The PIC took control of the aircraft while the newly hired instructor pushed the throttles, mixtures, and propeller to the full forward position with no response from the engines. The PIC put the landing gear down in anticipation of landing on a road. After realizing they would not be able to make it to the road, the PIC chose to perform an emergency landing in a grassy park area striking treetops before coming to rest. Temperature at the destination airport (3.5 miles from accident site) at the time of the accident was reported at 24 c with a dewpoint of 12 c. using a carburetor icing probability chart the risk of carb ice at the time of the accident was moderate icing at cruise power and serious icing at descent power. Carburetor heat controls were found in the off position. Flight control continuity was established, through first responder cuts, from the cockpit controls to the control surfaces. Post accident inspection of the aircraft revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
As the FAA filed it
THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PILOT OF A FAA PART 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL WAS ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) DURING A REQUIRED PART 141 CHECKOUT FLIGHT WITH A NEWLY HIRED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THE NEWLY HIRED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS AT THE CONTROLS FROM THE RIGHT SEAT RETURNING TO DEPARTURE AIRPORT TO DEMONSTRATE A SHORT FIELD LANDING. AFTER DESCENDING TO PATTERN ALTITUDE POWER WAS LOST ON BOTH ENGINES. THE PIC TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE THE NEWLY HIRED INSTRUCTOR PUSHED THE THROTTLES, MIXTURES, AND PROPELLER TO THE FULL FORWARD POSITION WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINES. THE PIC PUT THE LANDING GEAR DOWN IN ANTICIPATION OF LANDING ON A ROAD. AFTER REALIZING THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE ROAD, THE PIC CHOSE TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A GRASSY PARK AREA STRIKING TREETOPS BEFORE COMING TO REST. TEMPERATURE AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT (3.5 MILES FROM ACCIDENT SITE) AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED AT 24 C WITH A DEWPOINT OF 12 C. USING A CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART THE RISK OF CARB ICE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS MODERATE ICING AT CRUISE POWER AND SERIOUS ICING AT DESCENT POWER. CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROLS WERE FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED, THROUGH FIRST RESPONDER CUTS, FROM THE COCKPIT CONTROLS TO THE CONTROL SURFACES. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.