- Date
- February 22, 2020, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Coldwater, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N374JWCommander 114
- Defining event
- Landing: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200222000239A
- Case key
- 100985
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight instructor’s inadequate communication with the pilot under review about his intention to simulate a single-engine failure and his subsequent exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack when the pilot did not respond as expected, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that, during a flight review for the pilot, after takeoff and when the airplane was between about 300 and 400 ft above ground level, he reduced the throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure. The instructor expected the pilot to make a gradual right turn to land midfield on the intersecting runway. However, the pilot did not respond as expected, so the instructor assumed control, made a right turn, and lowered the airplane's nose. The pilot reported that, about the same time, he thought the airplane was too low, so he advanced the throttle full forward, but they could not arrest the descent. They felt the airplane shudder, and it experienced an aerodynamic stall and impacted terrain. A postimpact fire ensued under the engine cowling, which the passenger extinguished using the onboard fire extinguisher. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Examination of the propeller revealed curling and chordwise scratches on the blades, and the engine monitor indicated that the engine was turning at 2,625 rpm after the throttle was pushed forward, both of which are consistent with the engine producing high power at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The purpose of the flight was to complete a flight review for the commercial rated pilot in the left seat with the flight instructor in the right seat. After takeoff and about 300 ft agl, the flight instructor reduced the throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure. The flight instructor expected the pilot to make a gradual right turn to land mid-field on the intersecting runway. The pilot did not respond as expected so the flight instructor assumed control, made a right turn, and lowered the airplane's nose. About the same time the pilot thought they were too low and advanced the throttle full forward. They felt the airplane shudder and experienced an aerodynamic stall before it impacted the ground. A postimpact fire ensure under the engine cowling that was extinguished by the passenger using the onboard fire extinguisher. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Examination of the propeller noted curling and chordwise scratches on the blades. Additionally, the engine monitor indicated the engine was turning at 2,625 rpm at the time of the accident, consistent with the engine producing high power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N374JW
- Reported as
- Commander 114 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14595
- Built
- 1993
- Airframe hours
- 1,882
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-T4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2019
- Departed
- OEB · Coldwater, MI
- Destination
- OEB · Coldwater, MI
- Airport
- OEB · Branch County Memorial, runway 04, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Data recorder
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 26, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,783 total · 1,682 in this make and model · 1,702 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 19, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,610 total · 54 in this make and model · 3,432 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KOEB
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 25, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.