Christavia MK1 — Oral, SD, 2022

Christavia MK1 — Oral, SD

1 fatal Low-time pilot

Date	January 31, 2022
Location	Oral, SD
Aircraft	Christavia MK1 (amateur-built)
Purpose of flight	Personal
Conditions	Day · Visual Meteorological Cond
Phase / occurrence	Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
Pilot age	19
Pilot total time	0 hrs · Student / very low time
Time in type	0 hrs
Fatalities	1

Probable cause

The noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and subsequent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to attempt a flight with no previous flight experience.

NTSB findings

Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Qualification/certification-Pilot
Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained
Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded
Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

What happened

The noncertificated pilot, who had no previous training or flight experience, texted his friend to ask if he, the pilot, could taxi the airplane on a private airstrip, which was located at the friend’s residence. At the time of the pilot’s request, the friend was not at his residence. The friend arrived home about 1645 and observed the pilot taxiing the airplane. About 1700, the friend observed the airplane airborne, and the pilot completed two touch-and-go landings on the private airstrip. The airplane departed to the south and did not return. About 30 minutes later, the friend located the accident airplane, which had crashed in a field near the pilot’s residence, about 2 miles from his private airstrip. There were no witnesses to the accident.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The ground scar, impact signatures on the airplane structure, and wreckage fragmentation patterns were consistent with an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and impact with terrain.

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