Piper PA-34-200T N103GK

Summary

On 5 March 2010 at about 19:37 local time, a Piper PA-34-200T registered N103GK, operated by Paris Air, Inc, was involved in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 March 2010 at 19:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Vero Beach, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Vero Beach Municipal Airport (VRB)

Coordinates

27.6556, -80.4178

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-200T

Registration

N103GK

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Paris Air, Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Vero Beach → Vero Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10LA162

2 people were seriously injured.

The certified flight instructor's failure to monitor the airspeed while the student performed a single-engine approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student had completed several multiengine maneuvers at altitude including single-engine procedures. During the approach, the CFI retarded the left throttle to simulate an engine failure, and the student correctly identified the affected engine. The CFI then set zero thrust on the left engine, and the student continued the approach, utilizing the right engine. On the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the CFI noted that the altitude had dropped to about 500 to 650 feet above ground level and took control of the airplane. He stated that he added power on both engines; however, no increase in power was noted on either engine. The CFI attempted to troubleshoot the problem but, due to the low altitude, he elected to perform a forced landing; the airplane collided with trees and sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the airplane and both engines and reports from the CFI did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the CFI allowed the airspeed to decrease below the minimum controllable speed for single-engine operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.