Piper PA-30B N125RJ

Summary

On 29 April 2021 at about 23:20 local time, a Piper PA-30B registered N125RJ, operated by Aurora Flight Training, was involved in an accident near Corvallis, Oregon, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 April 2021 at 23:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Corvallis, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Corvallis Muni (CVO)

Coordinates

44.4917, -123.2933

Aircraft

Piper PA-30B

Registration

N125RJ

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

2

Operator

Aurora Flight Training

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aurora → Corvalis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR21LA179

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during a simulated engine out landing which resulted in impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and pilot rated passenger were performing a simulated single-engine landing with a left crosswind. According to the passenger, the pilot and he briefed the simulated single-engine procedure prior to the flight and determined that the simulated loss of engine power would be induced by pulling one of the engine mixtures to idle cutoff. He further remarked that they decided that the person at the controls would be responsible for maintaining directional control and any adjustments to the mixture, propeller, and throttle control settings. During the initial approach to land, the passenger pulled the left mixture control to idle to simulate a critical engine failure. The pilot stated that he did not adjust the throttle, propeller, or mixture control settings, and continued the approach to land. While on short final, the airspeed became too slow and the airplane started to balloon, and drift left of runway centerline. The pilot then advanced both engines to full throttle for a go-around, but the airplane yawed and banked to the left and the left wing struck the runway. The airplane then impacted the ground and slid to a stop off the left side of the runway. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.