Amateur-built JA30 SUPERSTOL N45FT accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot stated that, during the initial climb after takeoff, the flight controls got mushy, and the airplane began to sink. The pilot added flaps and verified engine throttle position; however, the airplane continued to sink, and the flight controls continued to feel mushy. The pilot pushed the airplane's nose forward and retracted the flaps. The airplane descended and hit a ditch and gravel road before coming to rest adjacent to a chain-link fence.

Examination of the airplane and related systems revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot's statement, along with the video of the accident, revealed that the ;ilot did not maintain an adequate airspeed during the initial climb and should have climbed more shallowly. Due to the low airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, the airplane aerodynamically stalled.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN18CA293 for the full record.