- Date
- February 20, 2006, 13:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Backus, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1877JPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060220002739A
- Case key
- 63311
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 airplane stalled as a result of the low airspeed and the instructor pilot's failure to take remedial action.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a loss of control while on short final for landing during an instructional flight. The instructor pilot reported that the airplane was on downwind and was about to turn to the base leg when he pulled the power and informed the dual student that he had an engine failure (simulated). The dual student turned toward the runway, but when the airplane had just cleared some trees and was about 50 to 60 feet above ground level (agl), the dual student released the yoke and told the instructor that it was "his airplane." The instructor pilot reported that he took control of the yoke and banked sharply toward the runway. He detected a high sink rate and "called for power but none was applied." The instructor pilot reported that the airplane stalled about 20 feet agl, and contacted the runway and a snow bank. In a written statement, the instructor pilot reported, "We should have had a more positive change of command. I was wondering when he was going to add power and apparently he thought that I was flying the plane."
Factual narrative
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a loss of control while on short final for landing during an instructional flight. The instructor pilot reported that the airplane was on downwind and was about to turn to the base leg when he pulled the power and informed the dual student that he had an engine failure (simulated). The dual student turned toward the runway, but when the airplane had just cleared some trees and was about 50 to 60 feet above ground level (agl), the dual student released the yoke and told the instructor that it was "his airplane." The instructor pilot reported that he took control of the yoke and banked sharply toward the runway. He detected a high sink rate and "called for power but none was applied." The instructor pilot reported that the airplane stalled about 20 feet agl, and contacted the runway and a snow bank. In a written statement, the instructor pilot reported, "We should have had a more positive change of command. I was wondering when he was going to add power and apparently he thought that I was flying the plane."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1877J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-24320
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Kaiser
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 7Y3 · Backus, MN
- Airport
- 7Y3 · Backus Airport, runway 15
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 8,200 total · 75 in this make and model · 66 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 222 total · 124 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N1877J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.