RAVENNA, OH, USA
N7808P
PIPER PA-24-250
THE WIFE OF THE AIRPLANE OWNER WAS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN A 'PINCH HITTER' COURSE. A GUIDELINE FOR INSTRUCTORS OF THIS COURSE REFERENCED MAXIMUM BANK ANGLES OF 30 DEGREES AND TO NOT FRIGHTEN THE STUDENT. AFTER ONE TOUCH AND GO, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER A STEEP 360 DEGREE TURN FOR APPARENT SPACING BEHIND ANOTHER AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DESCENDED AND DISAPPEAR BEHIND TREES. WITNESSES HEARD A SURGE OF POWER BEFORE IMPACT. AN EXAM OF THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S (CFI'S) LOGBOOK SHOWED HE HAD NOT LOGGED FLIGHT TIME IN THE MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRPLANE, THOUGH HE HAD FLOWN ON A PREVIOUS FLIGHT WITH THE OWNER. THE LOG BOOK WAS CURRENT THROUGH TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT OR ENGINE WAS FOUND.
FAILURE OF THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) TO ASSURE THAT ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WAS MAINTAINED, AFTER MANEUVERING (TURNING) FOR SPACING BEHIND ANOTHER AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/MUSH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE IMPROPERLY PLANNED APPROACH AND THE CFI'S LACK OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THE MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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