CHI08LA228

The student pilot stalled the airplane during the landing flare. The certified flight instructor (CFI) added engine power and the airplane bounced during the hard landing. The CFI elected to perform a go around and stalled the airplane. The airplane subsequently impacted in an uneven field and was substantially damaged. The CFI reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane reference the accident flight.

On July 28, 2008, approximately 1100 central daylight time, N605EV, an Evektor-Aerotechnik AS airplane, piloted by a certified flight instructor (CFI), sustained substantial damage during landing at the Maple Lake Municipal Airport, near Maple Lake, Minnesota. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 on a local instructional flight and a flight plan was not filed. The CFI and dual student pilot reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident.

The CFI reported that the purpose of the flight was to provide instruction on short and soft field takeoffs and landings. The CFI briefed the student on those maneuvers to include a discussion concerning the desired flare where they "should be able to reduce the power to idle and sink through the ground effect to touchdown on the runway with minimal float." The CFI stated that they flew the final approach at 55 knots as per the operating instructions. The student flared early, about 30 feet above the runway, and reduced power to idle. The student then made a comment about slowing down. The CFI said that before he realized how slow they had gotten, the stall horn sounded. The CFI went to add full power, but the airplane stalled and impacted on the runway. He estimated that they were 15 feet above the runway. When the airplane bounced, the CFI decided to "keep the power in to soften the second landing." That's when the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. The CFI decided to keep in full power and continue the go-around, but he also thought about keeping the nose wheel off the ground since they were headed for a field. With the back pressure in, the airplane inadvertently entered a stall. The CFI estimated that "the airplane stalled a total of three times prior to it striking the ground."

The CFI reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.

The CFI stated that he should have had more training on the flight characteristics of the airplane. He said, "The Sportstar is a light airplane with little mass to maintain momentum, or to recover momentum should a loss of airspeed occur. If the airplane stalls and the nose is lowered to regain airspeed, it takes much longer to regain the airspeed needed to break the stall. Power is the critical ingredient to breaking the stall in a light airplane."