No fatalities

Piper PA-24-250 Stalls During Go-Around at Hillsboro, Oregon (N7892P)

Hillsboro, OR, United States

On October 5, 2017, a PIPER PA 24-250 250 (registration N7892P) was involved in an aviation accident near Hillsboro, OR. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student's pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during approach and subsequent exceedance of the critical angle of attack during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

On October 5, 2017, a Piper PA-24-250 (N7892P) conducting a practice soft field landing stalled during a go-around, striking the runway short and hard. The flight instructor and student pilot were seriously injured; the aircraft sustained substantial damage.

Accident Details

On October 5, 2017, at about 1420 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, registration N7892P, was substantially damaged during an instructional flight at Hillsboro, Oregon. The airplane was operated by Twin Oaks Airpark Inc. under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight instructor and student pilot sustained serious injuries.

Sequence of Events

The flight instructor reported that during a practice soft field full stop landing, the airplane descended quicker than expected as the student pilot approached the runway. The airspeed was decreasing and the nose angle was increasing. The instructor called out "airspeed" and a go-around was initiated. During the go-around, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and settled toward the runway. It struck short of the runway hard and bounced onto the runway.

The student pilot stated that the soft field landing approach had a shallower glide path than a normal landing. He noted that the airspeed was about 15 knots slow. The flight instructor subsequently called for a go-around and instructed him to apply power quicker. As the airplane approached the flare, the student felt the airplane settle toward the ground in an aerodynamic stall. He reported no wind (crosswind or downdraft) on final.

Damage

Both wings and the fuselage were substantially damaged. No preaccident mechanical failure or malfunction was reported that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

Student/instructed pilotInstructor/check pilot

Other contributing factors

Airspeed — Not attained/maintainedCapability exceeded