Pilot Debrief

JOHNSON KENNETH R STOL CH 801 near Royalton, WI — 2016-11-06

Final reportCEN17LA037
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Date
2016-11-06
Location
Royalton, WI, USA
Airport
38WI
Aircraft
JOHNSON KENNETH R STOL CH 801
Registration
N801KJ
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The loss of control during approach for reasons that could not be determined due to postimpact fire damage.

NTSB narrative

The purpose of the personal flight was to practice stalls in the homebuilt, experimental airplane. The private pilot reported that he practiced several stall maneuvers and that the airplane handled well. After executing a touch-and-go landing, the pilot took off and established the airplane on downwind, about 1,000 ft above ground level, to set up for a full flaps landing. He lowered the flaps and set the engine power to idle. The pilot then discovered that the control stick would move but that he had no control of the airplane. The airplane impacted the ground and was totally consumed by postimpact fire. The pilot did not remember the crash. He had flown the airplane the day before the accident and did not report any mechanical anomalies. The pilot indicated that he did not believe that the airplane stalled. Due to the extent of the postimpact fire damage, it was not possible to determine any preimpact malfunctions or failures of the engine, flight controls, or flight control surfaces. Thus, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the approach after losing control of the airplane.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents3

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