On April 12, 1990, a Piper PA-44-180 (registration N109SA) was involved in an aviation accident near Stuart, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S FAILURE TO CORRECT THE LOSS OF AIRSPEED RESULTING FROM THE STUDENT'S INCORRECT CONTROL INPUT WHILE ON APPROACH TO LAND. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a short field landing practice, a student pilot raised the aircraft's nose on short final, prompting a go-around. The aircraft stalled and crashed on the runway.
Sequence of Events
According to the instructor pilot, the incident occurred during a short field landing maneuver. The student pilot raised the aircraft's nose while on short final approach at an indicated airspeed of approximately 75 knots. The instructor then lowered the nose and returned control to the student. The student again raised the nose. Due to the altitude and airspeed, the instructor instructed the student to execute a go-around. The student retarded the throttle. The instructor subsequently applied full throttle, but the aircraft stalled, descended with a right wing low attitude, and crashed on the runway.
Aircraft Control
The instructor reported that the student's repeated nose-up inputs on short final led to the go-around command. After the throttle was reduced by the student, the instructor took control and advanced the throttle fully. The resulting stall occurred despite the application of full power.
Outcome
The aircraft came to rest on the runway after the stall and subsequent descent. The instructor's account does not specify the extent of damage or any injuries.