Accident Details
On April 2, 1987, a Piper PA-38-112, registration N5540E, impacted terrain near Uvalde, Texas. The aircraft was owned and operated by Southwest Texas Junior College and was being used for a training flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Sequence of Events
During the training flight, the flight instructor simulated an engine failure. Standard written directives for the maneuver require the pilot to initiate recovery prior to descending below 200 feet above ground level (AGL). In this instance, the instructor did not begin recovery efforts until the aircraft had descended to approximately 150 ft AGL. The area selected for the forced landing was unsuitable; it consisted of rough terrain and was bordered on two sides by transmission power lines. When the instructor attempted recovery, he reported that the engine responded normally. However, the aircraft subsequently entered a high sink rate that prevented completion of the recovery before the aircraft struck the ground.
Injuries and Damage
The aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the impact. The flight instructor received minor injuries. The student pilot was not injured.