Piper PA-28-181 N4129S

Summary

On 11 January 1999 at about 14:44 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N4129S was involved in an accident near Arlington, Arizona, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 January 1999 at 14:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Arlington, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

33.1802, -112.7893

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N4129S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Goodyear → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX99LA073

1 person had minor injuries.

The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of his student and his failure to initiate timely remedial action. Contributing factors were the student's failure to maintain the proper glidepath under the existing downdraft condition, the flight instructor's failure to adhere to the company procedure regarding minimum safe altitudes for termination of practice forced landings. Additional contributing factors were the downdraft condition and the power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) was familiar with the area, and he initiated a simulated total loss of engine power for a practice forced landing for his student as they approached a crop duster airstrip. The dirt airstrip is located on a small bluff, and approaching it they encountered a downdraft. The student reset the wing flaps from 40 to 25 degrees; however, the airplane descended below the desired glide path. The CFI allowed the student to continue approaching the airstrip. The CFI directed that a go-around be initiated, and engine power was rapidly applied. Seconds later, the airplane impacted a residential service power line and an unoccupied house as the power was increasing. The airplane came to rest about 550 short of the airstrip. The operator, who employed the CFI, reported that it had provided the CFI with written guidance regarding the minimum altitude at which go-arounds were to be initiated during the practice of simulated forced landings. In pertinent part, the operator's Procedures and Techniques manual stated the following: 'Every go around from a simulated engine failure shall be performed by the student prior to 500 feet AGL if not approaching a paved runway.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.