Pilot Debrief

RICHARD SPATZ RV-14A near Fallston, MD — 2023-04-13

Final reportERA23LA195
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Date
2023-04-13
Location
Fallston, MD, USA
Airport
W42
Aircraft
RICHARD SPATZ RV-14A
Registration
N412RS
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to discontinue an unstabilized approach, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.

NTSB narrative

After flying two visual approaches to southwest runway, the pilot initiated a left, 270° turn to enter a right base for the northeast-oriented runway. He turned onto final approach about ¼-nautical mile (nm) from the approach end threshold and about 200 ft above ground level (agl). Although the pilot did not recall the final approach due to his injuries, recorded GPS and engine data indicated that the airplane’s vertical rate of descent increased greatly during the last few seconds of flight, and the engine speed increased, as if the pilot were performing a go-around. Also, the airplane was in a steep right bank just before impact. The airplane impacted an open field about 50 feet short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane and serious injuries to the pilot. The postaccident examination of the wreckage, including the flight controls, fuel system, and engine, did not reveal evidence of a malfunction or anomaly that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane during the flight. Given the available information, it is likely that the pilot initiated the base-to-final turn too close to the runway and tried to salvage an unstable approach. The airplane entered a steep right turning descent while at a low altitude, most likely while in an aerodynamic stall, from which the pilot was unable to recover from before impact with the terrain.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the final approach earlier to prevent loss of control.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 12 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents12

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