Piper PA 24-250 N7892P accident near Hillsboro, Oregon

Probable cause

The student's pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during approach and subsequent exceedance of the critical angle of attack during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action during the attempted go-around.

NTSB analysis

As the student pilot was approaching the runway for a practice soft-field, full-stop landing, the airplane descended faster than expected and the nose pitched up. The airplane's airspeed was slow, and the flight instructor called for a go-around. During the go-around, the flight instructor told the student pilot to apply power faster. Subsequently, the airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack and aerodynamically stalled, settled toward the ground, struck the ground hard short of the runway, and then bounced onto the runway, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.

The accident might have been avoided if the flight instructor had intervened or taken control of the airplane earlier in the sequence.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR18LA005 for the full record.