Stall / Spin · NTSB WPR10FA373
Marshall CH601 HDS — Kapowsin, WA
| Date | July 29, 2010 |
| Location | Kapowsin, WA |
| Aircraft | Marshall CH601 HDS (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Aerodynamic stall/spin |
| Pilot age | 75 |
| Pilot total time | Unknown |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1, 1 serious |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall and loss of control during the initial climb.
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
What happened
A family member reported that the pilot purchased the airplane about one month before the accident. The pilot had been conducting taxi tests until the day of the accident, which was his first flight in the airplane. Witnesses observed the airplane use most of the runway to takeoff. After liftoff, the airplane was at a high angle-of-attack and not climbing very fast. The pilot-rated passenger reported that the airplane attained an altitude of approximately 700 feet above ground level when the airplane stalled. The airplane then descended in a nose-low attitude to ground impact. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a pre-impact mechanical malfunction or failure.