Pilot Debrief

NORTH AMERICAN SNJ 2 near Melville, NY — 2018-05-30

Final reportWPR18FA155
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Date
2018-05-30
Location
Melville, NY, USA
Airport
FRG
Aircraft
NORTH AMERICAN SNJ 2
Registration
N62382
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, spin, and subsequent impact with terrain.

NTSB narrative

The pilot departed the airport with the intention of joining five other airplanes to proceed on a cross-country formation flight. The rear seat passenger onboard one of the other airplanes and a witness on the ground watched as the accident airplane entered a steep, climbing right 180° turn to about 1,300 ft above ground level, then subsequently entered a spin that continued to ground contact. A video captured the airplane in a steep, nose-down angle rotating around its vertical axis before impacting the ground. Postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation, with the exception of some preexisting cracks in the cockpit heater assembly. However, these cracks would not have negatively impacted the pilot's ability to control the airplane. Toxicology of the pilot revealed the presence of carbon monoxide in his blood that was not the result of the postcrash fire, and further examination of the heater assembly revealed no cracks or holes in the exhaust pipe that would have allowed gases to mix with the cockpit air supply. Given the level of carbon monoxide detected, it is unlikely that the pilot experienced any symptoms, regardless of the source, and there was no evidence to suggest that any carbon monoxide in the pilot's system contributed to the circumstances of the accident. Therefore, it is likely that, during the climbing turn, the pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack and the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall and inadvertent spin.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided high-G turn that led to loss of control.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 10 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents10

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