- Date
- January 16, 1991, 09:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N32108Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910116000619A
- Case key
- 18065
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The flight instructor's delay in taking remedial action, his inadvertently allowing the airplane to stall, and exceeding the aircraft's climb performance. Factors were: the flight instructor's lack of experience in aircraft type, his lack of experience as a flight instructor, and exceeding the airplane's maximum certificated gross weight.
Analysis
The flight instructor reduced power to idle to simulate an engine failure, and told his student to demonstrate a forced landing at the west Houston lakeside airport. The student said while he was halfway through the downwind leg, he wanted to turn towards the runway but the instructor told him to continue. After he turned on base leg, they observed an airplane under tow near the runway threshold. The instructor took control of the airplane and attempted to go around. Full power was applied. The instructor said the airplane 'did not develop any lift.' Last observed airspeed was 63 mph and the stall warning light was 'flickering.' The airplane struck a tree and crashed in an open field.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32108
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7525024
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Joseph Mock, doing business as Wings Of Houston, Inc.
- Departed
- 2XS3 · Cypress, TX
- Destination
- GLS · Galveston, TX
- Airport
- IWS · West Houston-Lakeside, runway 33, 3,955 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 312 total · 11 in this make and model · 226 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.