Stall / Spin · NTSB WPR19FA212
Wheeler EXPRESS SERIES 2000 — Camarillo, CA
| Date | August 7, 2019 |
| Location | Camarillo, CA |
| Aircraft | Wheeler EXPRESS SERIES 2000 (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Approach-VFR pattern final Aerodynamic stall/spin |
| Pilot age | 60 |
| Pilot total time | 1,395 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed on final approach, which resulted in exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall at an altitude that precluded recovery.
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained
What happened
The pilot and passenger were landing at the destination airport following a cross-country flight. Witnesses saw the airplane on final approach for landing when it entered a right bank followed by a steep, nose-down descent. The airplane impacted the ground several hundred feet short of the runway threshold.
Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Given the available information, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain airspeed on final approach, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.