On August 16, 1991, a Champion 7GCAA (registration N1645G) operated by Donald C. Dolan was involved in an aviation accident near Townsend, MT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S NOT MAINTAINING THE POWER OFF STALL SPEED RESULTING IN A STALL CONDITION. A FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO ENABLE A SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY FROM THE STALL. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a training exercise, after a simulated power loss and forced landing by a student pilot, the instructor attempted to demonstrate the altitude lost during a turn back to the field but allowed airspeed to drop below the power-off stall speed, causing a stall. Insufficient altitude prevented recovery, leading to ground impact.
Overview
An accident occurred during a flight instruction exercise. The pilot under instruction initially conducted a simulated power loss and forced landing. Following that, the instructor pilot took control of the aircraft.
Demonstration Maneuver
The instructor pilot began a demonstration intended to show the altitude lost during an attempted turn back to the field. While executing this maneuver, the instructor pilot allowed the aircraft's airspeed to decay below the power-off stall speed. As a direct result, the aircraft stalled.
Stall and Impact
At the time of the stall, insufficient altitude was available to enable a successful recovery. The aircraft subsequently collided with the ground before the stall could be corrected. The collision concluded the event.