No fatalities

Piper PA-28 Stalls During Simulated Engine Failure, Sustains Substantial Damage

La Grande, OR, United States

On June 1, 2013, a BEECH A23-24 operated by HUNT RUSSEL AND ANITA was involved in an aviation accident near La Grande, OR. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control and the flight instructors failure to monitor the pilot during a simulated emergency landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During a biannual flight review, a pilot simulating an engine failure stalled the aircraft at 200 feet. The CFI took over, but the airplane struck the ground hard, breaking the right main landing gear and damaging the right wing.

Overview

A pilot and a certified flight instructor (CFI) were conducting a biannual flight review when the accident occurred. The training exercise involved simulating an engine failure over the airport with the intent to land on the runway.

Sequence of Events

After spiraling down to traffic pattern altitude, the pilot entered a downwind leg for the intended runway. While turning toward the runway, the pilot inadvertently stalled the airplane at approximately 200 feet above the ground. The CFI immediately took control of the flight controls. The airplane then struck the ground hard, causing the right main landing gear to separate from the aircraft. The impact caused the airplane to bounce back into the air. The CFI managed to climb to a safe altitude and circled above the airport before performing an uneventful landing onto the grass adjacent to the runway.

Damage and Mechanical Condition

During the accident sequence, the right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Injuries

The source did not specify any injuries to the pilot, CFI, or any other individuals.

Probable Cause

No probable cause was stated in the source.

Contributing factors

PilotInstructor/check pilot