Socata TB-20 accident near Texarkana, Arkansas, October 3, 2002

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The flight was returning to the airport so the student pilot could practice a few landings, including a practice engine-out approach and landing. During the practice simulated engine-out landing, the airplane's left wing struck the ground while turning toward the runway. A witness reported observing the airplane make a turn, and it appeared to be paralleling the runway while continuing "to descend to 500 feet agl or less." At an altitude of 200 or 300 feet agl, the "aircraft rolled into a 60 to 80 degree banked left turn" toward the runway. The airplane appeared to "stall," and the left wing impacted the ground. The witness further reported that "at no time did [he] hear an engine noise or any changes in power from what seemed to be power-off or idle power." The flight instructor reported that the left turn and bank looked like a "normal" standard rate turn at the beginning, but it "suddenly became very steep." The flight instructor stated that she had reminded the student "that even if we were doing the practice engine out procedure back to the runway, that he could add power back if he felt we were getting too low." According to the flight instructor the flight was in preparation for the student pilot to take the single-engine land airplane private pilot examination. No structural or mechanical anomalies were observed during an examination of the airplane.

The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.