Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40; Flight Crew Total 254; Flight Crew Type 70
Training / Qualification; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure; Human Factors
This was an insurance checkout flight to rent aircraft at CNO. The flight was uneventful with exception to the following events: After making landings at AJO; the flight instructor asked me to taxi back to Runway 25 and make a normal takeoff. Upon takeoff; I began a climb; at approximately 1;000 feet MSL the CFI pulled the power out to simulate an engine out on takeoff. When asked where I would land the plane I replied; 'I will look straight ahead for a suitable landing spot'. This decision was made based on my training that a successful turn back to the airport cannot be made below 800 feet AGL; and we were only at approximately 500 feet AGL. The CFI was not satisfied with this answer and replied; 'You're going to land in the trees?!?! Why don't you turn back??' I told the CFI we could not make it; we did not have enough altitude. The CFI then took control of the airplane and said; 'We can! See! I will show you!' At that point the CFI turned the plane approximately 170 degrees to the left and we were losing altitude rapidly. The CFI lined the plane up on path for an industrial center just south of the west departure end of Runway 25. I told him; 'See; we are going to crash into the refinery'. Then the CFI said; 'No; I would just land on the taxiway to the left'. The CFI then leveled off the plane and without making any radio calls (no radio call was made to this point) began a climbing left turn to over the departure runway and said; 'How high were we? 1000 feet? I am going to show you that it can be done'. The CFI then flew the plane up to 1000 feet MSL (500 feet AGL) and approximately 2-3 miles past the departure end of the runway (a much shorter distance than the first time he pulled the throttle) pulled out the power; set best glide speed and began another left turn back toward the runway. I attempted to make a radio call and the CFI interrupted me and said; 'Why are you making radio calls?!? This is supposed to be an emergency! You don't have time!' As we approached the departure end of the field again we were sinking rapidly and would not be able to make it back to the runway (or even taxi way). The CFI then said; 'Now you land the plane' (we were at most 100 feet AGL and not at the airport yet) and I added full power to begin a climb. As speed increased; the CFI then pulled the power again and said; 'No; land the plane.' At this point I felt I was too fast and too high to make a landing; but in the heat of the moment I put full flaps in and said; 'See; we cannot make this landing!' The CFI then yanked the control wheel to the right and pointed the plane toward a grassy field on the southeast end of the airport and stated; 'We can still make this field over here'. I gave the controls back to the CFI; he initiated a climb and then he maneuvered the plane back to final approach for Runway 25 at AJO. At this time I voiced my concern and told the CFI that I felt VERY unsafe in this situation. The CFI rejected my claim and stated that he was safe in doing what he did. He told me to land the plane at that point. This is a classic example of the Hazardous Attitude; Invulnerability. I kept thinking; what if we really loose an engine during this low flying stunt; or what if there is somebody else in the pattern not making position reports. We could have easily had a real crash landing or a mid-air collision. The CFI clearly and intentionally flew the plane too low; in a populated area; without making the required position reports and with clear disregard for persons or property. This was the most unprofessional flight I have been a part of; the most unsafe flight and I was physically and mentally startled because of this incident. I voiced my concerns to the CFI; but he immediately rejected them as nonsense. I also plan to have a meeting with the flight school owner to discuss the incident and voice my concerns in the next week. I feel that FAR's may have been violated due to the intentional low-altitude high speed maneuverwithout notifying other potential traffic or making appropriate clearing turns for safety prior to executing the simulation. In my opinion; this is a clear presentation of Hazardous Attitudes on the CFI's part.
A pilot on an insurance checkout reported the instructor twice simulated an engine failure at unsafe altitudes and attempted to force the reporter's return to the airport; which in his opinion would have resulted in landing short of the airport.