NTSB Factual Report

On March 6, 2018, about 1105 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N6764W, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while on approach to Massey Ranch Airpark (X50), Edgewater, Florida. The flight instructor and student pilot were seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by an individual as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.

According to initial witness statements to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane was on the final approach leg of the traffic pattern at "low" altitudes on the previous landings while "doing pattern work."

The airplane subsequently impacted terrain about 750 ft from the threshold of runway 18.

Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that it impacted the ground in a nose down attitude. The top section of a tree was separated and located in the vicinity of the wreckage. In addition, there were several small branches with 45° cuts in them. The inboard section of the left wing was impact crushed aft and the left-wing tip was impact crushed. The outboard section of the right wing was impact crushed aft. The empennage was buckled and the horizontal stabilator and rudder remained undamaged. A total of 25 gallons of aviation fuel was noted in the wings during recovery.

The engine remained attached to the engine mounts. Thumb compression was attained on all four cylinders and valve train continuity was confirmed through the engine and accessories by rotating the propeller through 360° of rotation. The left and right magnetos produced spark on all ignition towers during hand rotation. The propeller remained attached to the engine and chordwise scratching was noted on the blades.