What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed from spanish fork municipal airport at approximately 13:00 for an instructional flight with a new student. During takeoff, the instructor pilot set the fuel tank selector to the right wing tank. He began introducing the student to the fundamentals of flying, emphasizing the importance of monitoring the fuel level in each tank, as the aircraft uses fuel from one wing tank at a time. When the student asked for clarification, the instructor assured him that he would manage the fuel for the flight.
Later in the flight, the instructor and student experienced communication issues with their headsets. The instructor resolved this by using the back seat headset jacks, which allowed for normal communication within the aircraft. However, to broadcast over the radio, they had to reconnect to the front headset jacks.
When the student began feeling airsick during the first hour, the instructor decided to head toward the Tooele, Utah area to find smoother air. They continued practicing maneuvers at the north end of the Tooele valley.
At approximately 14:55, while the student was flying, they heard a noise and felt a jolt. The instructor noticed the aircraft's propeller was "windmilling." He took control and initiated emergency procedures, pitching the aircraft nose-down to maintain airspeed. An emergency landing site was identified before attempting an engine restart. Following the emergency checklist, the instructor set the mixture to full rich, switched the fuel selector from the right to the left wing tank, and ensured the boost pump was on. These actions had no effect. He also tried switching between left, right, and both magnetos, but the engine did not start.
The instructor informed the student that they were in an actual emergency and to brace for landing. He attempted a mayday call on frequency 123.00, the CTAF for bolinder field Tooele, UT, announcing the engine failure and intent for an emergency landing, but was unsure if the transmission was successful. He also set the aircraft transponder to 7700.
During the emergency landing, the instructor spotted power lines and adjusted to clear them. He extended the landing gear once he was confident of the landing. Without extending the flaps, the aircraft's speed decreased faster than anticipated, causing it to touch down shorter than intended. The plane came to a stop facing 90 degrees to the left. The instructor turned off the electrical system, closed the fuel mixture, removed the keys, placed them on the dashboard, and exited the aircraft. Both the student and instructor assessed themselves for injuries, found none, and proceeded to call 911.
Post crash the damage was assessed. The left main gear and the left flap was separated from the aircraft. The main fuselage and the empanage sustained damge as well during landing.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM SPANISH FORK MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 13:00 FOR AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WITH A NEW STUDENT. DURING TAKEOFF, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT SET THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR TO THE RIGHT WING TANK. HE BEGAN INTRODUCING THE STUDENT TO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FLYING, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING THE FUEL LEVEL IN EACH TANK, AS THE AIRCRAFT USES FUEL FROM ONE WING TANK AT A TIME. WHEN THE STUDENT ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION, THE INSTRUCTOR ASSURED HIM THAT HE WOULD MANAGE THE FUEL FOR THE FLIGHT.
LATER IN THE FLIGHT, THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT EXPERIENCED COMMUNICATION ISSUES WITH THEIR HEADSETS. THE INSTRUCTOR RESOLVED THIS BY USING THE BACK SEAT HEADSET JACKS, WHICH ALLOWED FOR NORMAL COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE AIRCRAFT. HOWEVER, TO BROADCAST OVER THE RADIO, THEY HAD TO RECONNECT TO THE FRONT HEADSET JACKS.
WHEN THE STUDENT BEGAN FEELING AIRSICK DURING THE FIRST HOUR, THE INSTRUCTOR DECIDED TO HEAD TOWARD THE TOOELE, UTAH AREA TO FIND SMOOTHER AIR. THEY CONTINUED PRACTICING MANEUVERS AT THE NORTH END OF THE TOOELE VALLEY.
AT APPROXIMATELY 14:55, WHILE THE STUDENT WAS FLYING, THEY HEARD A NOISE AND FELT A JOLT. THE INSTRUCTOR NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT'S PROPELLER WAS "WINDMILLING." HE TOOK CONTROL AND INITIATED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, PITCHING THE AIRCRAFT NOSE-DOWN TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED. AN EMERGENCY LANDING SITE WAS IDENTIFIED BEFORE ATTEMPTING AN ENGINE RESTART. FOLLOWING THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST, THE INSTRUCTOR SET THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH, SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT WING TANK, AND ENSURED THE BOOST PUMP WAS ON. THESE ACTIONS HAD NO EFFECT. HE ALSO TRIED SWITCHING BETWEEN LEFT, RIGHT, AND BOTH MAGNETOS, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT START.
THE INSTRUCTOR INFORMED THE STUDENT THAT THEY WERE IN AN ACTUAL EMERGENCY AND TO BRACE FOR LANDING. HE ATTEMPTED A MAYDAY CALL ON FREQUENCY 123.00, THE CTAF FOR BOLINDER FIELD TOOELE, UT, ANNOUNCING THE ENGINE FAILURE AND INTENT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING, BUT WAS UNSURE IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS SUCCESSFUL. HE ALSO SET THE AIRCRAFT TRANSPONDER TO 7700.
DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING, THE INSTRUCTOR SPOTTED POWER LINES AND ADJUSTED TO CLEAR THEM. HE EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR ONCE HE WAS CONFIDENT OF THE LANDING. WITHOUT EXTENDING THE FLAPS, THE AIRCRAFT'S SPEED DECREASED FASTER THAN ANTICIPATED, CAUSING IT TO TOUCH DOWN SHORTER THAN INTENDED. THE PLANE CAME TO A STOP FACING 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. THE INSTRUCTOR TURNED OFF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, CLOSED THE FUEL MIXTURE, REMOVED THE KEYS, PLACED THEM ON THE DASHBOARD, AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR ASSESSED THEMSELVES FOR INJURIES, FOUND NONE, AND PROCEEDED TO CALL 911.
POST CRASH THE DAMAGE WAS ASSESSED. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND THE LEFT FLAP WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE MAIN FUSELAGE AND THE EMPANAGE SUSTAINED DAMGE AS WELL DURING LANDING.
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 N9324S · 1
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