No fatalities

12 Mar 2009: BEECH 58 — SAN JUAN PILOT TRAINING INC — Durango, CO

Durango, CO, United States

On 12 Mar 2009, a BEECH 58 operated by SAN JUAN PILOT TRAINING INC was involved in an aviation accident near Durango, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's improper landing flare and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A flight instructor simulated an engine failure after takeoff, leading to a hard landing that damaged the fuselage and right wing. The student pilot reduced both engines to idle but failed to maintain sufficient airspeed.

Incident Overview

During a training flight in a twin-engine airplane, shortly after takeoff, the flight instructor announced a simulated engine failure and expected the student pilot to land on the remaining runway. The student pilot responded by reducing both engines to idle power, but did not pitch the airplane's nose down enough to maintain sufficient airspeed.

Instructor Intervention

The flight instructor responded by lowering the airplane's nose to the proper attitude before releasing the controls. Moments later, the flight instructor realized that the student pilot was not arresting the rate of descent and was unable to react in time to prevent a hard landing.

Damage

The airplane's fuselage and right wing sustained structural damage during the accident.

Contributing factors

Instructor/check pilotIncorrect use/operationStudent pilot