At about 0700 local time, the Piper Seminole collided with terrain. The CFI, a certificated Private pilot receiving instruction and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. Maneuvers scheduled for the flight included power-on and -off stalls, slow-flight maneuvering, engine shutdown and feathering procedures, single-engine maneuvering and a Vmc demonstration, as well as approaches and landings. Witnesses reported that they saw the airplane rotating as it descended. One witness described its descent as a falling leaf. The operating arms of both main gear actuators were extended, which the airframe manufacturers representative said corresponded to the gear-down position. All major components of the airplane were located at the accident site.
May 13, 2004, Surprise, Ariz. / Piper PA-44-180
At about 0700 local time, the Piper Seminole collided with terrain. The CFI, a certificated Private pilot receiving instruction and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. Maneuvers scheduled for the flight included power-on and -off stalls, slow-flight maneuvering, engine shutdown and feathering procedures, single-engine maneuvering and a Vmc demonstration, as well as approaches and landings. Witnesses reported that they saw the airplane rotating as it descended. One witness described its descent as a falling leaf. The operating arms of both main gear actuators were extended, which the airframe manufacturers representative said corresponded to the gear-down po...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper Seminole training flight, scheduled for advanced maneuvers like Vmc demonstrations, crashed, resulting in fatal injuries for the CFI, a student pilot, and one passenger.
- Witnesses described seeing the airplane rotating and descending "like a falling leaf" before impact.
- Post-crash investigation revealed the main landing gear was extended, and all major components of the aircraft were located at the accident site.
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