On August 22, 1986, a Piper PA-38-112 (registration N2430E) was involved in an aviation accident near Lodi, WI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's failure to add sufficient power during the go-around maneuver, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, and the subsequent loss of control during the recovery attempt. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A student pilot stalled the aircraft during a practice emergency landing approach by failing to add power and pulling back on the controls too aggressively, resulting in a controlled flight into terrain after an attempted recovery.
What happened
The incident occurred during a training flight focused on practicing emergency landing approaches. The instructor pilot directed the student pilot to execute a go-around maneuver while the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 600 feet above ground level (AGL).
Instead of applying the necessary power, the student pilot pulled the control yoke fully backward. This action caused the aircraft to enter a stall condition. Recognizing the error, the instructor pilot immediately took control of the aircraft. The instructor lowered the nose to regain airspeed and added power to recover from the stall.
During the pull-out phase of the recovery, the left wing struck corn in a nearby field. The aircraft then spun around and impacted the ground.
Probable cause
The student pilot's failure to add sufficient power during the go-around maneuver, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, and the subsequent loss of control during the recovery attempt.