What happened
On June 4, 2023, at approximately 14:00 local time, a Cessna 150L was conducting a flight training lesson at the Curacaví Aerodrome (SCCV) in Chile. The flight, which included a flight instructor and a student pilot, was performing standard circuit patterns for landing on runway 10. After successfully completing two left-hand circuits, the crew began a third circuit. During the transition from the base leg to the final approach, the aircraft entered a steep left turn at a low altitude and insufficient airspeed. This maneuver caused the aircraft to enter a stall, resulting in a nose-down impact with the terrain approximately 900 meters from the runway threshold. The aircraft sustained significant structural damage, including a broken nose gear, deformed wings, and a fractured tail cone, but both occupants escaped without injury.
The investigation
The DGAC Chile investigation examined the flight logs, maintenance records, and the physical wreckage. Investigators confirmed that the aircraft's maintenance was up to date and that both the instructor and student held valid licenses. The investigation focused on the flight parameters during the third circuit, specifically the aircraft's configuration and the instructor's management of the student's maneuvers. Analysis of the wreckage indicated a high-energy impact with the ground. The investigation also reviewed the meteorological conditions, which were found to be favorable and not a contributing factor to the accident.
Findings
- The student pilot performed the maneuver without following the required checklist, specifically failing to use flaps and maintaining an airspeed near 60 mph, which was dangerously close to the stall speed for the aircraft's configuration.
- To correct a deviation from the landing path, the student pilot increased the bank angle during the turn to final, which triggered a stall at a low altitude.
- The flight instructor experienced a loss of situational awareness by intentionally allowing the student to continue making errors in an attempt to let the student self-correct, without intervening before safety parameters were exceeded.
- The instructor failed to execute a missed approach (go-around) despite the aircraft being outside the parameters of a stabilized approach.
- The instructor's reaction to take control of the aircraft was too late, leaving insufficient altitude to recover from the stall condition.
Safety action
- The DGAC Chile emphasizes the necessity of executing a missed approach whenever an approach is not stabilized.
- Flight instructors are urged to strictly adhere to established flight parameters and to prioritize the safety of the aircraft over the pedagogical goal of allowing student self-correction during critical phases of flight.