What happened
During a check-ride for a certified flight instructor rating, a pilot and a check pilot were performing several flight maneuvers in a single-engine airplane. The crew was conducting a simulated 180-degree power-off landing established for runway 04, with the engine operating at reduced power.
As the aircraft was approximately three quarters through the turn, the airspeed decreased and the sink rate increased. Ground witnesses observed the aircraft overshoot the final approach course for the runway. In an attempt to arrest the sink rate and reestablish the final approach course, the pilot applied power.
When the check pilot took control of the aircraft, he determined there was insufficient altitude to complete the recovery. Witnesses saw the airplane collide with the tops of trees short of the runway. One witness noted the nose of the aircraft pitched up, while the pilot recalled that the left wing dropped, leading to a collision with the ground in a nose-low attitude. The aircraft came to rest approximately 60 feet short of the runway surface and burst into flames. Both pilots were not injured.
The investigation
The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft during the simulated emergency maneuver.