Casualties unknown

1990-08-08: Piper PA-34-200 (N15515) — Paul M. Atkinson — Denton, TX

Denton, TX, US

On August 8, 1990, a Piper PA-34-200 (registration N15515) operated by Paul M. Atkinson was involved in an aviation accident near Denton, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The instructor pilot did not verify that the throttles were advanced, and VMC was not maintained, resulting in loss of control. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

An instructor pilot assumed control during a night single-engine approach and landing, initiated a go-around, but did not verify throttle advancement. Control was lost when VMC was not maintained.

Background

The incident occurred during a night training flight involving an instructor pilot and a student pilot. The flight was conducting a single-engine approach and landing.

Sequence of Events

The student pilot was flying the approach under the supervision of the instructor. As the airplane progressed to a short final, the instructor perceived that the student was over-controlling the aircraft. The instructor then assumed control of the airplane.

Deciding to abort the landing, the instructor initiated a go-around and instructed the student pilot to advance the throttles. However, the instructor did not verify that the throttles had actually been advanced by the student. During the go-around, the airplane lost directional control when VMC (minimum control speed with one engine inoperative) was not maintained.

Probable Cause

The probable cause was the instructor pilot's failure to verify that the throttles had been advanced during the go-around, and the subsequent failure to maintain VMC, which led to a loss of control.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001212X24009. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.