Pan Am C152 In Fatal Crash - Any Info?

[User998]

Reading through the latest NTSB reports, I noticed that a Pan Am Flight Academy Cessna 152 crashed while conducting spin training a couple weeks ago. That's terrible to hear.

Anyone have any more information on the accident, and/or could someone PM me the names of the two involved. I use to attend there, and I'm hoping I don't know the CFI involved.

Thanks.

 

[schoolio]

Check your PMs.

 

[crazyaviatrix]

I was talking to the Chairman of the DPE for the Scottsdale FSDO and from him I got that is it was CFI spin training gone wrong. Apparently it was the applicant's 3rd time attemping his spin flight and every time he had frozen on the controls before. From the radar returns they had done 3 spins but the 4th they didn't start as high as they should have. As a result of this accident the DPE's have stopped accepting most of the area schools spin training and asked that they do a more through program with experienced acro instructors at either chandler aviation or fighter combat

 

[Wiggums]

Ok, what scares me is that we cannot trust a regular CFI to teach spin training?

If a regular CFI cannot be trusted to either recover from a spin or teach spin recovery, then should they even be teaching?

Also, how can a DPE specify where an applicant has completed their training. If a candidate has the endorsement, then they have met the requirement for the rating.

 

[crazyaviatrix]

yes and no. Having a spin endorsement is required however they do not have to accept the endorsement for the Practical Test. It is up to the DE to either accept the training or make you perform the task on the checkride. Most people are under the impression that simply getting endorsed exempts you from doing that task on the checkride unless you bust in which case the regs require you to do spins. Either way you are supposed to show up to the check ride ready to spin with a aircraft approved for intentional spins.

 

[Prop2Jet]

Who was killed? I went to PAIFA years ago. PM me with details.

 

[wrxpilot]

Ok, what scares me is that we cannot trust a regular CFI to teach spin training?

If a regular CFI cannot be trusted to either recover from a spin or teach spin recovery, then should they even be teaching?

Also, how can a DPE specify where an applicant has completed their training. If a candidate has the endorsement, then they have met the requirement for the rating.

No offense to CFIs, as I'm sure quite a number of them are great and very competent for spin training. But it was an easy decision for me (and everybody else at my south FL FBO) to drive over to the local aerobatic instructor's airport to receive spin training vs. paying somebody that's spun a C152 a dozen times.

I always thought the CFI spin endorsement was intended/required in case a student did something goofy, not so that the CFI could then teach spins.

 

[NightHauler]

This thread suprises me. I recall doing spin training as both a student and a CFI in a C152. I never had any issues. We routinely took it to 4000 plus to do the maneuvers to CFI applicants and never had a problem. I don't understand how an accident could happen, unless they were right at the lowest possible altitude, 2500 seems to ring a bell, and then intentionally spun it into the ground... I'm baffled. Is there more to the story? Was there structual failure?

 

[crazyaviatrix]

The student doing the training was known for freezing on the controls. Which at that level is kinda scary anyways. The CFI instructor who was doing the training had been Pan AM's spin instructor for awhile and was experienced. However she weighed all of 95 pounds and the student was 210. If he did freeze it be difficult to overpower someone that much bigger than you. As far as we know nothing was wrong with the plane and it had just gone through a 100h inspection. I guess we will have to wait and see what the NTSB has to say. However this accident has had a big effect in the Scottsdale FSDO. Many DPE's are concerned about the quality of instructors especially ones comming out of the academys. As a result students are being told to get spin training from a experienced acro pilot and if they don't they should be prepared to do spins on the checkride. Also, prior to the accident the FSDO allowed the school to shedule the DPE for the CFI checkrides now they have gone back to assigning the DPE or FAA inspector themselves.

 

[ajhbubs84]

Absolutley terrible news.

I believe there was rapidy rising terrain involved.