Piper Seminole spins in, 2 killed as it hits house

[NutLoose]

It says one survived of three onboard...

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/2-killed-when-small-plane-crashes-into-oregon-home/

[lossiemouth]

This should clear things up.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/346229

[megan]

Vmca loss of control?

[megan]

A Seminole 212, a twin. Photo shows right rudder fed in with trim tab appropriate for left engine failure, video seems to me aircraft in a spin to the left.

[West Coast]

This one hits close. My Son, also a pilot knew one of the dead, first death of a friend in aviation.

[Pilot DAR]

Yeah, it's tough when it's someone close to your social circle. The single engined version of this airplane (Arrow 3 or 4) would have met the requirements for spin recovery for certification, not that that implies spin approval though. But, the twin engined version would have different inertia, and twins are not required to demonstrate spin recovery. So, sadly, that pilot was a test pilot. All that can come from that sad event is hopefully other new pilots learn that some airplanes should not enter some phases of flight....

[VH-MLE]

I would be amazed if there was actually 3 POB on board as that accident doesn’t look survivable. But very happy to be wrong - again…

[NutLoose]

West Coast, sad to hear that :(

[By George]

Very steep nose attitude, not at all ‘flat’ so it should be recoverable. I wonder why not? Is it the high tail being blanked out?
I read recently of a loss of a Beechcraft B58 Baron after VMCA training exercise resulted in a flat spin. The message being not to use full rudder and stalling at the same time as the roll off. Demonstrate with only half rudder travel to show loss of control and not get into a stall ( ie spin entry).
In Aus spin training is no longer compulsory, something I don’t agree with.

I never liked high tails in the Piper range, no need, and I see it as a form of fashion more than anything else. At rotation they always seem pitch insensitive to me. Watching a Tomahawk’s tail during spin training further convinced me the tail is at the wrong end!

[Pilot DAR]

Very steep nose attitude, not at all ‘flat’ so it should be recoverable. I wonder why not?

Though the pitch attitude is very steep, the inertia in the rotation may have been too great for the recovery controls (if fully applied) to overcome. The Seminole is essentially a twin engined Arrow 3, and the Arrow 3 would have demonstrated spin recovery for certification. But the added mass of two engines away from the center of mass of the airplane, (and fuel tanks further outboard?) could be more than control could overcome. And that assumes that the pilot promptly and correctly applied spin recovery control inputs. It is not common for pilots to briskly move and hold the control wheel fully forward, but that's what some types will require to break the stall and spin.