Takeoff & Initial Climb · NTSB WPR22FA304
AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1A — Yellow Pine, ID
| Date | August 15, 2022 |
| Location | Yellow Pine, ID |
| Aircraft | AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1A |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 38 |
| Pilot total time | 173 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 164 hrs |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Maximum weight-Capability exceeded
What happened
A video of the accident flight showed the airplane departed runway 35 and became airborne within the first half of the runway. As the airplane reached mid-field, it made a climbing right turn over the trees and disappeared from the camera view. The airplane impacted terrain shortly thereafter. The sound of the engine running can be heard throughout the video.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation.
A review of weight and balance information showed that, at the time of departure, the airplane was likely about 229 lbs over its maximum gross weight. Additionally, although the loading and seating positions could not be verified, an estimated calculation placed the airplane’s center of gravity (CG) outside of the manufacturer’s tested/approved CG envelope.
Flight track data retrieved from a personal electronic device (PED), showed that the airplane’s speed decreased to 45 knots during the takeoff climb. The airplane's increased weight would have resulted in an increased stall speed. Given the increased airplane weight and the slow airspeed during the takeoff climb, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain.