On September 5, 2004, a Piper PA-18 (registration N2415P) operated by Guy R And Tyler R Glahn was involved in an aviation accident near Blaine, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The instructor pilot's inadequate remedial action during his student's final approach for a simulated engine out water landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A floatplane struck the water during a simulated engine-out forced landing when the instructor added full power and pushed forward on the controls, believing a stall was imminent. The aircraft struck in a 30-40 degree nose-down attitude.
Accident Sequence
During a training flight, the aircraft was climbing through 400 feet above the water when the instructor pilot reduced power to idle and directed the student to simulate an engine-out forced landing on the bay. The student initiated a controlled slip to descend toward the intended touchdown point. When the aircraft reached approximately 50 feet above the water and was still in a slip, the instructor, who had just cautioned the student to monitor airspeed, perceived that the aircraft was about to stall. To prevent the stall, the instructor applied full power and pushed the control stick forward. The aircraft then pitched nose-down and struck the water surface in a 30- to 40-degree nose-down attitude.
Pilot Perspectives
According to the student pilot, the aircraft was not nearing a stall. The student believed that the instructor misread light turbulence and the wing-low attitude resulting from the slip as the onset of a stall.
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