Cessna 172 N35585 accident near Elkton, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot under instruction's failure to follow the flight instructor’s directions and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action and subsequent exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor reported that he had demonstrated a simulated engine failure and recovery at altitude to the pilot under instruction, and he subsequently asked the pilot to perform a simulated engine failure and recovery. The instructor allowed the pilot to descend over an open field, and he recalled instructing the pilot to "recover" and abort the landing about 200 ft above ground level. However, the pilot failed to do so, and the flight instructor took the controls. The airplane subsequently stalled, impacted terrain, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the engine mounts. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA19CA412 for the full record.