Cessna 182 N3921D accident near Lexington, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angleofattack during a climbing turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin at too low of an altitude to recover.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot was returning the airplane to the departure airport for landing after a skydiving flight. Two witnesses reported observing the pilot fly the airplane over the runway; one witness said it was about 50 ft above ground level (agl), and the other witness said it was about 100 ft agl. One of the witnesses added that, when the airplane reached the end of the runway, it pitched up about 45 degrees, gained about 200 ft of altitude, and then entered a turn with a 45-bank angle. The witness added that, after the airplane had turned about 90 degrees to a westerly heading, its nose dropped, and the airplane "immediately dove." The airplane subsequently entered a left spin and rotated about 180 degrees before impacting trees and then the ground. A second witness noted that the engine sounded like it was at "full throttle" during the descent as if the pilot was attempting to recover from the dive.

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions. The airplane wreckage was confined to the vicinity of the accident site. Tree breaks in the immediate vicinity of the accident site were consistent with a high-angle descent immediately before impact. Based on the witness statements, it is likely that the pilot intentionally initiated a turning climb but failed to maintain adequate airspeed and exceeded the airplane's critical angle-of-attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin from which he could not recover.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN15FA427 for the full record.