- Date
- February 25, 1991, 10:25 local (15:25 UTC)
- Place
- Valkaria, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N609FTPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910225003479A
- Case key
- 32826
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 failure of the instructor pilot to supervise the student pilot's actions, resulting in a stall at a low altitude where recovery was not possible.
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 instructor pilot initiated a simulated engine failure after takeoff at about 250 ft AGL. The student initiated a steep turn and the airplane stalled. The instructor added throttle and attempted to recover but the airplane struck the trees and the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N609FT
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2841219
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D36, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Fla. Institute Of Technology
- Registered owner
- Fla. Institute Of Technology
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 14, 1991 · 33 hours before
- Airport
- X59 · Valkaria, runway 14, 3,600 × 100 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
- 21
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 387 total · 346 in this make and model · 353 as pilot in command · 81 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB, 13 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.