20250904018329I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-151 · Ray, MI · September 4, 2025

Date
September 4, 2025 · 19:35 local
Place
Ray, MI
Airport
Romeo State Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N113EJ
Reported as
Piper PA-28-151
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
374 total374 in this make and model102 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.

During a training flight, the student pilot experienced a power loss due to a cylinder failure. In response to smoke from the engine compartment. Believing the engine was on fire, the CFI took control of the aircraft and turned to the closest airport.

When the aircraft was on a one mile final, the engine was shut down. The aircraft touched down on the runway threshold and porpoised. On the next cycle, the aircraft landed on nose gear, which sheared off.

The aircraft came to a stop on the runway.

As the FAA filed it

DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT, THE STUDENT PILOT EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS DUE TO A CYLINDER FAILURE. IN RESPONSE TO SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. BELIEVING THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE, THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND TURNED TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT.

WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A ONE MILE FINAL, THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND PORPOISED. ON THE NEXT CYCLE, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON NOSE GEAR, WHICH SHEARED OFF.

THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY.