Piper PA 34-200 N99GN

Summary

On 8 May 2018 at about 19:15 local time, a Piper PA 34-200 registered N99GN, operated by Griffith Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Valparaiso, Indiana, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 May 2018 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Valparaiso, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Porter County Rgnl (VPZ)

Coordinates

41.4539, -87.0069

Aircraft

Piper PA 34-200

Registration

N99GN

Category

Airplane

Year built

1972

Engines

2

Operator

Griffith Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Griffith → Griffith

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA165

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot receiving instruction’s failure to maintain a safe operating airspeed, which resulted in a loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's failure to monitor the pilot's airspeed control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot receiving instruction and the flight instructor were conducting multiple approaches to the airport. During a simulated engine-out go-around, when the pilot advanced the throttle of the operating engine to full power, he allowed the airspeed to drop below the single-engine minimum controllable airspeed. Subsequently, the pilot lost airplane control, and the airplane descended and impacted terrain. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The instructor should have been monitoring the pilot's airspeed control and his failure to do so contributed to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.