Narrative:

In jan 1988, my student and I were over fantasy haven airport at tehachapi pass, en route to bfl from bur. A mi north of the airport at 6500' I reduced the power and instructed my student to make a simulated emergency landing. He chose fantasy haven and turned left to approach it from the north. In position for a landing on runway 9L, I called the reported our position on unicom. My student chose to fly past the runway and turn left downwind for the west runway. It was doubtful that we would be able to execute the landing west/O power, but I saw a good opportunity to demonstrate how it is possible to maneuver an airplane (out) of position for a safe landing. As he made the left turn to final, we began to overshoot the runway centerline. I took the controls, and after increasing the bank to keep from overshooting the runway it was apparent that we would not make the turn and applied full power to go around. At the steepest part of the turn, we indicated 75 KTS with full flaps. On the level off, the airplane's sluggish response to the go around and desired climb was unexpected and possibly due to a wind shear. We descended to an altitude approximately level with the airport bldgs before climbing again and clearing them by about 50'. I inadvertently had the volume turned down, and since hearing no one on the frequency, I continued to bfl. I allowed the aircraft to become quite low to the runway, but with everything under control and myself at the controls, I saw no danger. I did not see a wind sock and saw no noticeable drift over the ground as we flew over the field. The engine came up to full power immediately on the go around, but the airplane lost airspeed and climbed out slowly. My low altitude left little margin for error and therefore a low pass over the bldg. I should have kept more distance between the ground and myself with this particular airport layout. From the ground this incident may have looked out of control, but the airplane was never in a stall or uncontrollable flight. Even my student had to ask if it had been a dangerous situation we had been in when discussing the incident later in the day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF GA SMA ON SIMULATED ENGINE OUT APCH OVERSHOT RWY AND FLEW LOW OVER BUILDINGS.

Narrative: IN JAN 1988, MY STUDENT AND I WERE OVER FANTASY HAVEN ARPT AT TEHACHAPI PASS, ENRTE TO BFL FROM BUR. A MI N OF THE ARPT AT 6500' I REDUCED THE PWR AND INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO MAKE A SIMULATED EMER LNDG. HE CHOSE FANTASY HAVEN AND TURNED LEFT TO APCH IT FROM THE N. IN POS FOR A LNDG ON RWY 9L, I CALLED THE RPTED OUR POS ON UNICOM. MY STUDENT CHOSE TO FLY PAST THE RWY AND TURN LEFT DOWNWIND FOR THE W RWY. IT WAS DOUBTFUL THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THE LNDG W/O PWR, BUT I SAW A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE HOW IT IS POSSIBLE TO MANEUVER AN AIRPLANE (OUT) OF POS FOR A SAFE LNDG. AS HE MADE THE LEFT TURN TO FINAL, WE BEGAN TO OVERSHOOT THE RWY CENTERLINE. I TOOK THE CTLS, AND AFTER INCREASING THE BANK TO KEEP FROM OVERSHOOTING THE RWY IT WAS APPARENT THAT WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE TURN AND APPLIED FULL PWR TO GO AROUND. AT THE STEEPEST PART OF THE TURN, WE INDICATED 75 KTS WITH FULL FLAPS. ON THE LEVEL OFF, THE AIRPLANE'S SLUGGISH RESPONSE TO THE GO AROUND AND DESIRED CLB WAS UNEXPECTED AND POSSIBLY DUE TO A WIND SHEAR. WE DESCENDED TO AN ALT APPROX LEVEL WITH THE ARPT BLDGS BEFORE CLBING AGAIN AND CLEARING THEM BY ABOUT 50'. I INADVERTENTLY HAD THE VOLUME TURNED DOWN, AND SINCE HEARING NO ONE ON THE FREQ, I CONTINUED TO BFL. I ALLOWED THE ACFT TO BECOME QUITE LOW TO THE RWY, BUT WITH EVERYTHING UNDER CTL AND MYSELF AT THE CTLS, I SAW NO DANGER. I DID NOT SEE A WIND SOCK AND SAW NO NOTICEABLE DRIFT OVER THE GND AS WE FLEW OVER THE FIELD. THE ENG CAME UP TO FULL PWR IMMEDIATELY ON THE GO AROUND, BUT THE AIRPLANE LOST AIRSPD AND CLBED OUT SLOWLY. MY LOW ALT LEFT LITTLE MARGIN FOR ERROR AND THEREFORE A LOW PASS OVER THE BLDG. I SHOULD HAVE KEPT MORE DISTANCE BTWN THE GND AND MYSELF WITH THIS PARTICULAR ARPT LAYOUT. FROM THE GND THIS INCIDENT MAY HAVE LOOKED OUT OF CTL, BUT THE AIRPLANE WAS NEVER IN A STALL OR UNCONTROLLABLE FLT. EVEN MY STUDENT HAD TO ASK IF IT HAD BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION WE HAD BEEN IN WHEN DISCUSSING THE INCIDENT LATER IN THE DAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.