Stall / Spin · NTSB ERA17FA123
JORDAN BRUCE C PITTS S2E — Apex, NC
| Date | March 8, 2017 |
| Location | Apex, NC |
| Aircraft | JORDAN BRUCE C PITTS S2E (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Approach-VFR pattern final Aerodynamic stall/spin |
| Pilot age | 80 |
| Pilot total time | 1,933 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | 96 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Effect on operation - C
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained - C
What happened
The pilot was returning to the airport from a local personal flight in the airplane. The airplane approached runway 9 at an angle before rolling inverted, descending, and impacting terrain, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. A review of weather conditions revealed that, on final approach, the airplane likely experienced a tailwind of about 9 knots with wind gusts as high as 20 knots. Pilots familiar with the airport reported that, due to the slope of the runway, pilots preferred to land on runway 9 unless there was a tailwind of more than 10 knots. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. It is likely that, while maneuvering on final approach to the runway with a gusting tailwind, the pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in the exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.