Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB WPR24FA004
PIPER PA-44-180 — Newberg, OR
| Date | October 4, 2023 |
| Location | Newberg, OR |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA-44-180 |
| Purpose of flight | Instructional |
| Conditions | Dusk · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering Loss of control in flight |
| Pilot age | 22 |
| Pilot total time | 198 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2, 1 serious |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot
What happened
The flight instructor , pilot receiving instruction, and the pilot-rated passenger departed in the multi-engine airplane to conduct flight training. The training syllabus for the flight included a review of stalls, slow flight, steep turns and single-engine emergencies that included minimum control airspeed (Vmc) procedures.
The pilot-rated passenger, who was seated in the right rear seat, reported that the pilot receiving instruction was at the controls and was performing a Vmc maneuver when the loss of control occurred. At the start of the maneuver, at about 5300 ft mean sea level (msl), the pilot receiving instruction was flying the airplane. The passenger stated that during the maneuver the stall horn sounded, and the airplane almost immediately went “inverted to the left.” When the airplane entered a spin, the pilot receiving instruction verbalized the steps to return the airplane to level flight/recover from the spin and subsequently requested the flight instructor take over the flight controls. Numerous witnesses reported seeing the airplane spiraling as it disappeared from view.
Vmc is the speed below which aircraft directional control cannot be maintained if the critical engine fails. During a Vmc demonstration, power is reduced on the critical engine (left) and the airplane is recovered before the loss of directional control or a stall.
Postaccident examination of the recovered airframe and engines revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to all primary flight controls. Numerous separations were noted within the flight control system with signatures consistent with overload separation or due to the recovery process. In addition, the passenger stated she was not aware of any mechanical issues with the airplane.
The recorded ADS-B flight track data, recorded engine data, passenger’s statement, and witness interviews were consistent with the airplane having stalled and entered a spiral from which the pilots did not recover.