Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, G-AYWE, 7 August 2002

Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, G-AYWE

Summary:

After a flight of some two hours, the purpose of which was for an examiner to conduct a PPL skills test, a normal circuit and a touch and go were performed back at Denham airfield. During the circuit, carburettor air was selected on the downwind leg/final approach, cold air being selected for the subsequent climb out back to 750 feet aal. For the next circuit the student had been briefed for a glide approach. On the downwind leg carburettor heat was selected for several seconds and again on base leg, after which the throttle was closed as the descent was commenced from 750 feet. Initially the descent profile was good but, after 25 deg.flaps had been selected, an undershoot situation began to develop. At about 200 feet, the examiner called for the application of power, but there was no response from the engine. Full throttle was applied, followed by carburettor heat selection to cold, but with no effect. The aircraft struck trees in the undershoot area and then impacted the ground. Subsequently, no technical defect was found to explain the loss of power, but the instructor later commented that the weather conditions were conducive to the formation of carburettor icing.

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G-AYWE-3-05.pdf (80.36 kb)

Published 10 December 2014