Pilot Debrief

BROWN STEEN SKYBOLT near Harrison, OH — 2009-08-22

Final reportCEN09LA536
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Date
2009-08-22
Location
Harrison, OH, USA
Airport
I67
Aircraft
BROWN STEEN SKYBOLT
Registration
N14BB
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
2
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

A witness reported that after the airplane lifted off, it proceeded “straight-and-level” down the runway about 50 feet above ground level (agl). When the airplane reached the end of the runway, it pitched up into a “very steep” climb angle of about 45-50 degrees. The climb continued to approximately 200 feet agl, when the airplane entered a left turn to an easterly heading. However, the airplane continued banking to the left until it became inverted. At that point, the nose of the airplane was “pointed almost straight down. The plane continued to spin to the left until it disappeared from sight behind the fence.” The airplane impacted terrain southeast of the departure end of the runway. A post accident examination did not reveal any anomalies associated with a pre impact failure or malfunction of the airframe or engine. Fractures of the pilot control stick and mating control rod were due to overstress separation resulting from the impact sequence.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have maintained level flight instead of steep climb.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 8 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents8

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