Pilot Debrief

CULVER LFA near Limington, ME — 2014-07-12

Final reportERA14FA337
Sign in to save
Date
2014-07-12
Location
Limington, ME, USA
Airport
63B
Aircraft
CULVER LFA
Registration
N41716
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

According to witnesses, the airplane departed in a slow, nose-high attitude takeoff from the runway. The handheld GPS recorded that airplane was slow and climbed about 135 feet over the runway before stalling to the left about 2,200 feet down the 2,973-foot runway. One witness stated the engine noise sounded normal while two other witnesses reported a momentary sputter of engine noise, followed by a return to power. The engine noise then seemed normal for 5 to 10 seconds before the sound of impact. All three witnesses concurred that the airplane seemed lower than it should have been during the takeoff. Examination of the wreckage revealed that adequate fuel was onboard and that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Additionally, although the carburetor was susceptible to serious icing at glide power for the given temperature and dewpoint, the engine would have been set to full power for takeoff; thus, carburetor icing was unlikely. A teardown examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or fuel contamination. The engine had accumulated about 115 hours of operation since its most recent overhaul, which was completed about 35 years before the accident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff when the airplane was low and slow.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 19 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents19

Related mishaps