What happened
On September 3, 2025, at approximately 11:35 EDT, a Piper PA-44-180, registration N447BG, was involved in an accident near Bowling Green, Ohio. The flight was being conducted as a Part 91 instructional flight for a private pilot undergoing a checkride for a multi-engine land rating.
The flight departed from Wood County Airport (1G0) without incident. During the flight, the right engine was manually shut down to practice single-engine operations. Following the maneuvers, the designated pilot examiner (DPE) attempted to restart the engine, believing it had successfully restarted based on an increase in manifold pressure. However, the right engine was not brought to full power to verify its operational capability following the shutdown.
As the aircraft approached 1G0, the DPE maintained control of the right engine to simulate single-engine flight. During the final approach, the pilot determined the approach was unstable and initiated a go-around. Upon advancing both throttles to full power, only the left engine responded, causing the aircraft to yaw to the right. The DPE took control of the aircraft, retracted the landing gear and flaps, and feathered the right propeller. Despite these actions, the aircraft could not climb and continued to descend. The DPE turned the aircraft toward a field, where it impacted the ground.
The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries and 0 fatalities.
The investigation
A post-accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found that the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The wreckage was retained for further examination.