On November 24, 1984, a Piper PA-38-112 (registration N2478B) was involved in an aviation accident near Newcastle, OK. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a simulated emergency landing, an instructor deemed the approach unsalvageable at 1700 ft AGL and directed a go-around. The student allowed airspeed to decay while attempting to stretch the glide, raised flaps without adding power, and continued nose-up input. The instructor's late control recovery could not prevent a stall-descent into a sod field.
Incident Overview
A simulated emergency landing exercise turned into an unintended off-field landing when a go-around was initiated. The instructor, supervising the student, evaluated the approach as unsalvageable and instructed the student to execute a go-around at 1700 ft AGL.
Sequence of Events
During the approach, the student had allowed airspeed to decay in an effort to extend the glide. Upon the go-around command, the student raised the flaps but did not add power. As the aircraft began to settle, the instructor added power and redeployed the flaps. The instructor stated that his attempts to lower the aircraft’s nose to gain airspeed were thwarted by the student’s failure to relinquish control and continued application of nose-up input. The instructor eventually regained control, but too late to avoid a stall and mush into a sod field.