N3803T – PIPER PA28R – 2016-09-21 NTSB Accident Report

On September 21, 2016, a Piper PA28R (N3803T) was involved in an incident near Ottumwa, IA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot receiving instruction's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack during a simulated engine failure and landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.

The flight instructor reported that the pilot receiving instruction was demonstrating a power-off 180 degree landing. He further reported that as the airplane entered a close-in base to final approach, the airspeed slowed and the stall warning light started to flicker. The flight instructor reported that he stated to the pilot flying, "nose down, nose down," and waited for him to correct. Subsequently, the flight instructor took the flight controls, but as he did so, the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall and touched down hard on the runway. During the landing roll, the flight instructor reported that he lost rudder authority but was able to use differential braking to maintain directional control and taxi off the runway.

The right wing sustained substantial damage.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA16CA501. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3803T.