Incident Overview
On January 14, 2023, at 1115 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182R, registration N9393H, was substantially damaged when it struck a fence and settled into a field adjacent to the runway near Las Animas, Colorado. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor, student pilot, and a passenger were uninjured.
Sequence of Events
The flight was conducting a visual approach and landing at the destination airport. During the turn to the final approach leg, the flight instructor cautioned the student pilot about several powerlines to the left of the airplane. The instructor believed this warning startled the student, causing her to increase the airplane's pitch. He then advised her to reduce pitch and add engine power.
As the airplane neared the runway threshold, the stall warning horn activated. When crossing over the runway numbers, the instructor instructed the student to add more engine power to avoid a hard landing. The student complied, but the airplane veered left and bounced on the runway while the stall warning continued. The instructor then told her to apply full engine power. She did so, but the airplane continued to veer left and did not climb.
The airplane became airborne briefly but struck a 4-foot-high fence before settling into an adjacent field. The substantial damage included damage to the left horizontal stabilizer.
Post-Accident Examination
A postaccident engine examination and run revealed no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor attributed the lack of climb rate to an engine problem, while the student pilot attributed it to low airspeed and a high angle of attack during the go-around.
Conclusion
No probable cause was determined by the investigation, though the engine was found to be operable.