PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 155; Flight Crew Total 1200; Flight Crew Type 500
Distraction; Situational Awareness; Confusion
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
During a regular training flight as the instructor I had simulated an engine failure which my student had set up for a glide and was gliding to a place to land. It was in an area that I was unfamiliar with that has a ground elevation of around 1;000 feet vs the 800 feet that I am usually in. During the glide I had gotten disoriented in interpreting the altimeter and saw us pass 1;500 feet MSL; but had interpreted it as 2;500 feet MSL. Normally without the disorientation I would have told my student to go around. I was just a little late on the 'go-around' call out and after my callout my student had initiated a go-around at around 350 feet AGL. I would not say it was unsafe at any point as we had no obstacles near us. But typically I like to do a go-around after simulated emergencies no lower than 500 feet AGL. This was a sparsely populated area as we were simulating a glide into a farm field. One of my personal minimums is not to fly lower than 500 feet AGL as FAR 91.119 states I must stay 500 feet from any person; vehicle; vessel; or obstacle. There was no obstructions or persons in the immediate area. A factor that could have contributed to this error on my part could be that during the flight I had realized I had double scheduled another student during the time we were flying and had an increased stress level from that. To prevent this from happening again; I will try and keep better situational awareness of the area I am in.
PA-28 flight instructor reported that confusion over terrain altitude resulted in a lower than intended altitude during the maneuver.