2 INSTRUCTOR PLTS FLEW A CHEROKEE 6 THROUGH THE TOP OF A TREE.

Narrative

THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS FOR FAMILIARIZATION IN A PA32- 300 CHEROKEE 6. I AM AN ACTIVE FLT INSTRUCTOR AND WILL BE CONDUCTING INSTRUCTION IN THE CHEROKEE; FOR THE OWNER AND HIS COLLEAGUES; ONCE THE CHKOUT IS COMPLETE. THIS WOULD BE JUST ONE OF SEVERAL FLTS IN THE ACFT. IT WAS MY 4TH TIME IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. I WAS IN THE L SEAT; INSTRUCTOR X WAS IN THE R. MR. X WAS ACTING PIC. HE HAS APPROX 500 HRS IN TYPE. I HAVE APPROX 4 HRS IN TYPE; ALL IN THIS AIRPLANE. WE DEPARTED RWY 18 AT APPROX XA05 LCL TIME. THE WX WAS VFR. WE ESTIMATED THE WX AT 2000-2500 FT BROKEN TO OVCST WITH 5-7 MI VISIBILITY. WE DID BASIC AIR WORK TO THE E AND NE OF THE FIELD. THIS INCLUDED STEEP TURNS AND RUDDER CTL. ABOUT 30 MINS INTO THE FLT; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER L XWIND FOR RWY 36 TO INSPECT THE WINDSOCK. NO TFC WAS RPTED. WHEN I WAS APPROX 2 MI OFF THE APCH END OF RWY 18; X PULLED THE ENG BACK TO IDLE AND STATED THAT HE WAS SIMULATING A PWR FAILURE. I TURNED IMMEDIATELY FOR THE RWY 18. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY TOO HIGH TO MAKE A SAFE APCH. I FELT THAT S-TURNS WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE; AND BEGAN. MR. X SAID 'NO; SLIP IT' AND HE TOOK THE CTLS AND PUT THE AIRPLANE IN A FORWARD SLIP; THEN SAID 'YOU HAVE IT.' I TOOK THE CTLS AND RESUMED A NORMAL GLIDE ONCE THE APPROPRIATE GLIDE PATH WAS GOING TO MAKE THE RWY IN THE PRESENT CONFIGN. I SAID 'WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT' AND SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLIED FULL PWR TO INITIATE A GAR. X SAID 'I GOT IT' AND TOOK THE CTLS BEFORE I COULD GET THE PWR ALL THE WAY TO THE FIREWALL. X SAID 'I'LL JUST LOWER THE NOSE TO BUILD UP A LITTLE AIRSPD; AND WE WILL CLR THE TREES.' MR. X THEN RETARDED THE THROTTLE BACK TO IDLE AND LOWERED THE NOSE. BEFORE I COULD REACT; WE STRUCK THE TOP OF A PINE TREE APPROX 1/2 MI FINAL TO RWY 18. AS WE STRUCK THE TREE A GAR WAS INITIATED BY BOTH PLTS SIMULTANEOUSLY; AND I WAS LEFT ON THE CTLS. ON CLBOUT; MR. X TOOK THE CTLS DUE TO THE SPLIT FLAP CONDITION. WE ENTERED L DOWNWIND AT MIDFIELD AND MR. X LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MR. X CALLED THE BRIDGEPORT FSS APPROX 1 HR LATER TO RPT THE TREE STRIKE. PROBABLE CAUSE: 1) MR. X FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE PROX TO THE TREES; WHEN HE DECIDED NOT TO LET ME CONTINUE THE REJECTED APCH. 2) MR. X UNORTHODOX METHOD OF ACHIEVING BEST GLIDE SEEMS INCORRECT. BEST GLIDE SPD (L/DMAX) IS THE BEST YOU CAN DO. 3) THE FLC'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SAFE PROX TO TERRAIN ON APCH. 4) MY FAILURE TO HOLD THE THROTTLE AGAINST THE FIREWALL; ENSURING NO ONE COULD RETARD IT UNTIL SAFE ALT.