Cessna 172N N738XT accident near Orrville, Ohio

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed during the soft field takeoff, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

During initial climb after a soft field takeoff, the private pilot noted that the airspeed was low, which he thought was due to a pitot system error. He pulled back on the yoke and the airplane's stall warning horn immediately sounded. The airplane was descending, and the pilot maneuvered to avoid obstructions. He pulled the yoke all the way back to fully stall the airplane before the airplane impacted the ground and nosed over. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot failed to attain adequate airspeed control during the takeoff and initial climb, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN18LA171 for the full record.