Takeoff & Initial Climb · NTSB ERA14LA363
TEMCO GC 1B — Yulee, FL
| Date | July 28, 2014 |
| Location | Yulee, FL |
| Aircraft | TEMCO GC 1B |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Loss of control in flight |
| Pilot age | 65 |
| Pilot total time | 30,000 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Lateral/bank control-Not attained/maintained - C
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-Conducive to carburetor icing-Not specified
- Personnel issues-Physical-Health/Fitness-Predisposing condition-Pilot
What happened
The airline transport pilot was taking off in the airplane for a personal flight. A witness reported seeing the airplane depart and then noting that the engine rpm was "low but steady." About 200 ft above ground level, the airplane banked left, "stalled," and then descended out of the witness's view. The airplane impacted terrain in a marshy area about 0.2 nautical mile from the departure end of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Although atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were favorable for the accumulation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise engine power settings, it could not be determined if carburetor ice had formed while the airplane was on the ground before the accident.
Although the pilot was susceptible to an increased risk of impairment/incapacitation from an enlarged heart and septal scarring, the investigation was unable to determine if pilot impairment due to heart disease or other identified medical conditions contributed to the accident.