PIPER PA 28-235 near Taylor, AZ — 2016-11-12

Final reportWPR17LA020

Date: 2016-11-12
Location: Taylor, AZ, USA
Aircraft: PIPER PA 28-235
Registration: N9398W
Category: Airplane
Highest injury: None
Fatalities: 0
Phase of flight: Descent

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that, after demonstrating emergency descent procedures to the student pilot during an instructional flight, he applied engine power to recover from the simulation, but the engine had experienced a total loss of power. After performing troubleshooting steps, which did not restore full power, the instructor performed a forced landing. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a berm and sustained substantial damage. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed about 14 months before the accident; however, postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation, and the engine performed with no anomalies during a subsequent test run. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.