Stall / Spin · NTSB NYC08LA235
Lanier James A Talon XP — Cleveland, GA
| Date | July 2, 2008 |
| Location | Cleveland, GA |
| Aircraft | Lanier James A Talon XP (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Aerodynamic stall/spin |
| Pilot age | 54 |
| Pilot total time | 225 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 142 hrs |
| 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-(general)-Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues-Physical-Health/Fitness-Use of medication/drugs-Pilot
What happened
During the takeoff, the experimental light-sport airplane flew level, about 50 feet above the runway, until about 900 feet of runway remained. The airplane then pitched up "sharply," and climbed to about 150 feet before it entered a stall and pitched nose down. The airplane impacted the ground at a near 60-degree angle and "exploded." Examination of the wreckage revealed no obvious mechanical deficiencies with the airframe or engine. The pilot held the necessary pilot certificate required to operate the airplane, and had accumulated 225 total hours of flight experience, with 142 hours in the accident airplane make and model. Doxazosin, a prescription medication that lowers blood pressure and can reduce G-tolerance, was found on post-mortem toxicology testing. No definitive determination could be made as to any role of the medication in the accident.