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DEN91LA032

1991-01-16 · HOUSTON, Texas, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport IWS

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S DELAY IN TAKING REMEDIAL ACTION, HIS INADVERTENTLY ALLOWING THE AIRPLANE TO STALL, AND EXCEEDING THE AIRCRAFT'S CLIMB PERFORMANCE. FACTORS WERE: THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN AIRCRAFT TYPE, HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE AS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, AND EXCEEDING THE AIRPLANE'S MAXIMUM CERTIFICATED GROSS WEIGHT.

Factual narrative

THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REDUCED POWER TO IDLE TO SIMULATE AN ENGINE FAILURE, AND TOLD HIS STUDENT TO DEMONSTRATE A FORCED LANDING AT THE WEST HOUSTON LAKESIDE AIRPORT. THE STUDENT SAID WHILE HE WAS HALFWAY THROUGH THE DOWNWIND LEG, HE WANTED TO TURN TOWARDS THE RUNWAY BUT THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD HIM TO CONTINUE. AFTER HE TURNED ON BASE LEG, THEY OBSERVED AN AIRPLANE UNDER TOW NEAR THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND. FULL POWER WAS APPLIED. THE INSTRUCTOR SAID THE AIRPLANE 'DID NOT DEVELOP ANY LIFT.' LAST OBSERVED AIRSPEED WAS 63 MPH AND THE STALL WARNING LIGHT WAS 'FLICKERING.' THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE AND CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_DEN91LA032.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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