On November 11, 1996, a Piper PA-30-160 (registration N7392Y) operated by Atlanta Navy Flying Club was involved in an aviation accident near Cartersville, GA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the flight instructor's (CFI's) inadequate supervision by failing to ensure that directional control of the aircraft was maintained, during a simulated engine failure. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a multi-engine training flight, a simulated engine failure led to a runway excursion when the student pilot did not reduce power in time, causing the aircraft to veer off and collapse the left main gear.
Accident Details
The flight was conducted to provide multi-engine training to a single-engine-rated commercial student. The aircraft was on a takeoff roll on runway 01.
Sequence of Events
The flight instructor (CFI) shut off the left engine below the minimum control speed with one engine inoperative (Vmcg) to simulate an engine failure. The dual student failed to reduce power on the right engine in a timely manner, which prevented the airplane from yawing to the left. The CFI could not recover control of the airplane in time to prevent it from veering off the runway. Subsequently, the airplane encountered unfavorable terrain, causing the left main landing gear to collapse.
Post-Accident Findings
Neither the CFI nor the student reported any mechanical problems with the airplane.