- Date
- June 26, 2023, 18:45 local (Jun 27, 2023, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Newdale, ID · farm field
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N730SCPiper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administraton
- FAA report
- 20230626007139A
- Case key
- 192463
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 premature retraction of the flaps by the student pilot, while just above the airplane’s stall speed. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision and failure to regain aircraft control from the student pilot.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that while his student was at the controls, he initiated a simulated engine failure, and the student executed the emergency procedures for a forced landing. The student chose a place to land and configured the airplane for landing, including full flaps. The instructor noticed that the airplane’s airspeed was “a little slow”, and he instructed the student to check the airspeed, then recover from the simulation. The student retracted the flaps instead of adding engine power, and the airplane stalled and sank. The instructor immediately attempted to take over the airplane’s controls from the student and verbally commanded “my controls”, but the student was “stuck on the controls and locked up.” The airplane continued to descend and touched down in a field and nosed over. Both wings, the fuselage, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder sustained substantial damage. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N730SC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7225546
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 4,281.13
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 8, 2023
- Departed
- KRXE · Rexburg, ID
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
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 29, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 602 total · 318 in this make and model · 544 as pilot in command · 119 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 33 in this make and model · 13 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KRXE, 10 nm away
- METAR
- KRXE 262353Z AUTO 24010KT 10SM CLR 26/04 A2990
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 2, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.