HIGHLANDER N58LD accident near Bryan, Ohio

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain.

NTSB analysis

A passenger onboard the accident airplane reported that it was approaching the runway to the east when the pilot noticed another airplane landing in the opposite direction on the same runway. The passenger stated that the pilot was using the radio and called in. The pilot made a hard left turn and advanced the throttle to full forward to avoid the other airplane. He added right aileron, but the airplane did not respond and continued turning left until it impacted terrain. It is likely that because of the slow airspeed, the aileron control input was not effective and the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot of the other airplane, during the landing flare, he noticed the accident airplane landing in the opposite direction, so he aborted the landing and climbed straight ahead.

The pilot of the other airplane stated that he was monitoring frequency 122.8 MHz. Postaccident examination of the accident airplane revealed that the radio was set to 122.5 MHz as the active position and 122.8 MHz in the standby position; therefore, the pilot of the other airplane would not have heard his radio communications. At the time of the accident, the Bryan Aero Park did not have a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for pilots to communicate on while operating at the air park. As a result of the investigation, Bryan Aero Park management has adopted 122.8 as the CTAF for pilots to communicate on while operating at the field.

Although evidence indicates that the pilot had severe coronary artery disease, high cholesterol, and hypertension, no evidence was found indicating that the pilot's cardiac issues contributed to the accident. Also, the investigation was unable to determine whether or not the pilot's diabetes or his use of sertraline contributed to the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13LA244 for the full record.