LAMB-ROBIN BOWERS FLY BABY

Guthrie, OK — April 3, 2016

Event Information

DateApril 3, 2016
Event TypeACC
NTSB NumberGAA16CA180
Event ID20160411X23137
LocationGuthrie, OK
CountryUSA
Coordinates35.85139, -97.41611
AirportGUTHRIE-EDMOND RGNL
Highest InjuryMINR

Aircraft

MakeLAMB-ROBIN
ModelBOWERS FLY BABY
CategoryAIR
FAR Part091
Aircraft DamageSUBS

Conditions

Light ConditionDUSK
WeatherVMC

Injuries

Fatal0
Serious0
Minor1
None0
Total Injured1

Event Location

Probable Cause

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a collision with terrain.

Full Narrative

The pilot reported that during the initial climb, the airplane aerodynamically stalled. He reported that he was unable to recover the airplane due to the low altitude and the airplane impacted a field off the departure end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing, and right elevator.

The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

As a safety recommendation, the pilot reported that using full power on takeoff would have prevented the accident.

The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3A (2004). This handbook discusses stalls and states in part:

The key to stall awareness is the pilot's ability to visualize the wing's angle of attack in any particular circumstance, and thereby be able to estimate his/her margin of safety above stall. This is a learned skill that must be acquired early in flight training and carried through the pilot's entire flying career. The pilot must understand and appreciate factors such as airspeed, pitch attitude, load factor, relative wind, power setting, and aircraft configuration in order to develop a reasonably accurate mental picture of the wing's angle of attack at any particular time. It is essential to flight safety that a pilot takes into consideration this visualization of the wing's angle of attack prior to entering any flight maneuver.

Stall accidents usually result from an inadvertent stall at a low altitude in which a recovery was not accomplished prior to contact with the surface.

About This NTSB Record

This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.

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