U-FITAQP: 12) LOSS OF SPEED AWARENESS
THE DTSB
The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the pilot lose some track of speed or energy, and did allow the aircraft to enter a fully stalled condition while operating at a low altitude. The aircraft impacted in a nose low, left wing low condition. The airplane was found nosed down, in a near vertical attitude, on a northeast heading on the south side of the ridge. The wings remained partially attached and the tail was bent slightly to the right.
NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing,
which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.
THE DTSB
The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all aircraft rehearse and become conditioned for recognizing flight at and below DMMS, and that back country operators be increasingly vigilant of attempted landings at locations requiring flight at high power, high AOA, and very low speeds.
NTSB
None issued. NTSB recommendations are rare and usually tied to high-profile accidents.
See the NTSB Recommendation Tracker →