Pilot Debrief

CESSNA T240 near Payson, AZ — 2018-10-14

Final reportWPR19FA007
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Date
2018-10-14
Location
Payson, AZ, USA
Airport
PAN
Aircraft
CESSNA T240
Registration
N433CS
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
2
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and a subsequent loss of control.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was approaching the airport for landing around dusk in visual meteorological conditions at the conclusion of a cross-country flight. Radar data depicted the airplane at 589 ft above ground level on a downwind leg for the runway at a groundspeed of 108 knots. The airplane then entered a right turn; however, rather than aligning with the runway on a final approach leg, the airplane continued the turn through 360° and continued on an extended downwind before entering another right turn. The airplane’s altitude and groundspeed was fluctuating throughout these maneuvers. Radar contact was lost near the accident site about 1 nautical mile from the end of the runway. The airplane impacted the ground in a vertical, nose-down attitude consistent with an aerodynamic stall/spin. Damage signatures indicated that the engine was producing power at the time of the accident, and examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Analysis of the radar data revealed that the radius of the airplane's final turn was about 700 ft, which would have required a bank angle of about 50° based on the airplane's approximate speed. The data are consistent with the pilot's failure to compensate for the increased load factor during the turn and a subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in a stall/spin from which the pilot was unable to recover given the airplane's low altitude.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided excessive bank angle during final turn.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents15

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