Stall / Spin · NTSB CEN18FA265

ROSE PARRAKEET A-1 — Rhome, TX

1 fatal High-time pilot
DateJuly 12, 2018
LocationRhome, TX
AircraftROSE PARRAKEET A-1
Purpose of flightPersonal
ConditionsDay · Visual Meteorological Cond
Phase / occurrenceTakeoff Aerodynamic stall/spin
Pilot age85
Pilot total time5,200 hrs · High time
Time in type50 hrs
Fatalities1

Probable cause

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB findings

  • Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded - C
  • Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

What happened

The private pilot had just departed from the airport when witnesses observed the airplane not climbing and about 100 ft above the ground. Another witness observed the airplane a nose-high attitude. The airplane was struggling to gain altitude before it banked "hard" to the right, entered a "sharp" nose-down attitude, and impacted a field near the airport.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The ground scarring at the accident site, the crush angle of the airframe, and the observed wing drop before the airplane's descent into terrain were consistent with an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and a resulting aerodynamic stall.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.

View the official NTSB docket →