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CEN20CA062

2020-01-16 · St. Charles, Missouri, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SET

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot receiving instruction’s misunderstanding of the flight instructor’s instruction and the pilot's and the instructor’s insufficient use of rudder while adding power to the operating engine, which resulted in the airplane rolling left and the wing striking the ground. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.

Factual narrative

The pilot and flight instructor had completed about two hours of multi-engine flight training and were performing a "zero thrust, single engine" full stop landing. A sink rate developed on final approach and the flight instructor told the pilot to "add a small amount of power to the right operating engine." The pilot misunderstood the instruction as "abort" and added full power to the right engine to abort the landing. The airplane rolled left and the flight instructor added right rudder to arrest the roll. The left wing hit the ground and the airplane rotated left on the ground, substantially damaging the airplane's left wing and collapsing the three landing gear. Neither pilot was injured. There were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot receiving instruction and flight instructor were performing a zero-thrust, single-engine, full-stop landing when a sink rate developed on final approach. Subsequently, the instructor told the pilot to "add a small amount of power to the right operating engine." The pilot misunderstood the instruction as "abort" and added full power to the right engine to abort the landing. The airplane rolled left, and the instructor added right rudder to arrest the roll. The left wing hit the ground; the airplane rotated left, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing; and the landing gear collapsed. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Communication (personnel)-Interpretation/understanding-Student/instructed pilot
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Student/instructed pilot
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Lateral/bank control-Not attained/maintained
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Student/instructed pilot
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Instructor/check pilot
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Flight control system-Rudder control system-Incorrect use/operation
  • F Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_CEN20CA062.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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