Accident Details
On March 3, 2008, at approximately 0840 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, registration N8400A, impacted the terrain during a go-around maneuver. The aircraft was operated by Chandler Air Service as a local 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. The flight had departed Chandler Municipal Airport about 50 minutes prior to the accident and was being conducted in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed.
Sequence of Events
According to the certified flight instructor, the student was practicing a simulated engine-out landing, with the intention of executing a go-around during the final phase of the approach. In telephone conversations with both the instructor and the student, they reported that the go-around was initiated when the airplane was approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL). To begin the go-around, the student advanced the throttle to the full-forward position. At that moment, the engine momentarily coughed or choked, and the airplane continued to descend. Just as the engine accelerated to full power, the airplane struck the ground on rough and uneven terrain. The accident sequence resulted in both external and internal damage to both wings.
Post-Accident Examination
After the accident, the engine was started and run at various power settings. No anomalies were found that would have prevented it from correctly responding to a full-throttle power application. During the investigation, it was determined that the operator's standard procedure for all simulated engine-out activity requires the flight instructor to call for the initiation of a go-around no lower than 300 feet AGL.