History of the Flight
The aircraft, operated by Malaysian Flying Academy, departed Malacca International Airport at 1000 hours for a training flight to area R239A2. After completing training exercises including stalling, steep turns, and practice forced landings, the crew requested a rejoin for an overhead practice forced landing. While passing the reporting point Chin Chin at 2,000 feet, the aircraft experienced engine vibrations and the RPM dropped from 2,300 to 1,700. The flight instructor took control and advanced the throttle, but the engine did not respond. The student pilot performed the engine roughness checklist; switching alternate air to open caused RPM to drop to 1,000 and further. After troubleshooting, the engine produced no power. Below 1,000 feet, the student pilot secured the engine, and the flight instructor executed a forced landing in an open construction area. Both pilots evacuated safely.
Aircraft and Personnel Information
The aircraft was a 2019 Piper Archer III PA28-181, registration 9M-SKJ, powered by a Lycoming IO-360-B4A engine. The flight instructor held a CPL with 3,206 total hours, all on type. The student pilot held an SPL with 150.35 hours. No injuries were reported among the two crew members. Post-incident inspection revealed no damage to the aircraft.
Investigation
The Air Accident Investigation Bureau of Malaysia investigated. The aircraft was transported to the operator's hangar for examination. The report noted that a running change (engine not stopped) occurred after the first sortie. The engine experienced RPM reduction and did not respond to throttle inputs. No probable cause was stated in the provided report excerpts.