NTSB Factual Report

On October 26, 2003, about 1515 eastern standard time, a homebuilt Headburg RV-6, N331JH, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 local instructional flight, impacted with an embankment while on final approach, short of runway 15, at the Wellington Aero Club Airport, Wellington, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial-rated pilot/certified flight instructor (CFI), and commercial-rated dual student reported no injuries. The flight had departed from the Wellington Aero Club Airport, the same day, at 1430.

According to the CFI, he had given the student a simulated loss of engine power, and forced landing, which started at an altitude of 3,500 feet, with the intent that a landing would be performed to the airport's runway. After rolling out of a right turn from base to final, at an altitude of 400 feet, and about 1/4 of a mile from the runway, according to the CFI "[the] aircraft stalled...then snapped to the left." The CFI said that he felt the student was recovering, but that he (student) had not applied enough rudder, so the CFI added more rudder. The airplane leveled, but had lost too much altitude to allow recovery and impacted with the embankment. The CFI also indicated that there was a crosswind of about 45 degrees from the left.

According to the FAA inspector that went to the accident scene, the CFI said to him, the student stalled the airplane when close to the ground, which resulted in a nose down impact into the embankment.

NTSB Probable Cause

the failure of the dual student pilot to maintain airspeed, and the CFI to properly supervise the dual student, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and subsequent impact with an embankment, during a simulated loss of engine power.