Stall / Spin · NTSB WPR10LA010
Cruz SE5A Replica — Phoenix, AZ
| Date | October 9, 2009 |
| Location | Phoenix, AZ |
| Aircraft | Cruz SE5A Replica (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Aerodynamic stall/spin |
| Pilot age | 37 |
| Pilot total time | 270 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in a stall/spin and impact with the ground.
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
During the initial climb after takeoff, witnesses observed the airplane make a right turn and then enter into a nose down spin before impacting a scrap metal yard where it was subsequently consumed by a postimpact fire. Witnesses further reported that the engine sounded smooth and was producing power akin to takeoff power. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors responded to the site and were able to identify all of the hardware for the flight controls. A postaccident engine inspection revealed no mechanical difficulties that would have precluded normal operation. The owner of the airplane reported that this was the pilot's first flight in the airplane.