BRITTEN-NORMAN BN-2AMCPHILLIPS FLYING SERVICE INC
Beaver Island, MI, USA · 2021-11-13·N866JA
What happened
NTSB summary, verbatimA pilot-rated witness observed the airplane during the final approach to the destination airport and stated that the airplane was flying slowly, with a high pitch attitude, and was “wallowing” as if nobody was flying. The airplane stalled and impacted the ground about 300 ft from the runway. GPS and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data captured the accident flight, but the ADS-B data ended about 0.24 miles before the accident. GPS data showed that the airplane’s speed was at or near the published stall speed for the airplane’s given loading condition. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Examination of the airplane verified flight and engine control continuity. No preimpact anomalies were found with respect to the airplane, engines, or systems. The pilot allowed the airspeed to decrease during the approach, increased pitch attitude, and exceeded critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin into terrain.
Photographs
10the aircraft, and what the investigators foundPhotographs are NTSB docket attachments — works of the US government, in the public domain. Captions are the Board’s own.
Probable cause
the Board's determinationThe pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during final approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control at an altitude too low to recover.
Occurrence sequence
1 stepsNTSB coding · CICTT taxonomy- 1 · Approach-VFR pattern finalAerodynamic stall/spindefining event
Findings
3 causal · 0 contributing- CAUSEAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed — Not attained/maintained
- CAUSEAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack — Capability exceeded
- CAUSEPersonnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control — Pilot
NTSB analysis
from the final reportA pilot-rated witness observed the airplane during the final approach to the destination airport and stated that the airplane was flying slowly, with a high pitch attitude, and was “wallowing” as if nobody was flying. The airplane stalled and impacted the ground about 300 ft from the runway. GPS and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data captured the accident flight, but the ADS-B data ended about 0.24 miles before the accident. GPS data showed that the airplane’s speed was at or near the published stall speed for the airplane’s given loading condition. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Examination of the airplane verified flight and engine control continuity. No preimpact anomalies were found with respect to the airplane, engines, or systems. The pilot allowed the airspeed to decrease during the approach, increased pitch attitude, and exceeded critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin into terrain.