- Date
- June 7, 2007, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lumberton, NJ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2173SPiper PA-44-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070607014639A
- Case key
- 65939
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 improper decision to simulate an engine failure in the traffic pattern by cutting off fuel to the engine, and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control during an aborted landing.
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
According to the flight instructor of the PA-44, while conducting a training flight with his student, he simulated a left engine failure and the student proceeded to enter the traffic pattern for runway 19. Upon touchdown, "the rear of the airplane and the right wing raised off the ground" and the flight instructor instructed his student to "Go-Around." The airplane began to track left and the flight instructor took the controls. He was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane exited the runway collapsing the left main gear and substantially damaging the airplane. The student pilot reported that the flight instructor simulated the engine failure by "cutting off fuel to the left engine," and the flight instructor reported he must have "forgotten to turn the fuel back on" during the go-around. No mechanical deficiencies were reported with the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor of the PA-44, while conducting a training flight with his student, he simulated a left engine failure and the student proceeded to enter the traffic pattern for runway 19. Upon touchdown, "the rear of the airplane and the right wing raised off the ground" and the flight instructor instructed his student to "Go-Around." The airplane began to track left and the flight instructor took the controls. He was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane exited the runway collapsing the left main gear and substantially damaging the airplane. The student pilot reported that the flight instructor simulated the engine failure by "cutting off fuel to the left engine," and the flight instructor reported he must have "forgotten to turn the fuel back on" during the go-around. No mechanical deficiencies were reported with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2173S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44-7995245
- Airframe hours
- 7,287
- Engines
- Lycoming 0-360-E1A6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming LO-360-E1A6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hortman Aviation Services, doing business as Flight Instruction
- Registered owner
- Margaret M Froman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2007
- Departed
- N87 · Robbinsville, NJ
- Destination
- N14 · Lumberton, NJ
- Airport
- N14 · Flying W Airport, runway 19, 3,496 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2005
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,053 total · 84 in this make and model · 789 as pilot in command · 159 in the last 90 days · 69 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2007
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KVAY, 2 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.
Other investigations on N2173S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.