Pilot Debrief

Seguine Swift II near San Antonio, TX — 2012-12-24

Final reportCEN13LA116
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Date
2012-12-24
Location
San Antonio, TX, USA
Airport
T94
Aircraft
Seguine Swift II
Registration
N84NS
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to attain a proper pitch attitude and airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

The airplane was climbing through about 50 to 75 feet above ground level when it suddenly rolled left. The pilot tried to counteract the roll, but the airplane was unresponsive to control inputs. The sudden roll followed by a lack of control authority was consistent with an aerodynamic stall as the airplane transitioned from the aerodynamic effects of flight near the ground. A stall progression near the ailerons would have affected control authority. A postaccident examination of the flight control system revealed no malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot climbed too steeply after takeoff without attaining the proper airspeed.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff when abnormal pitch was observed.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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