Cessna 175 N7013M accident near Kilgore, Texas

Probable cause

The noncertificated pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack when the airplane became airborne during a high-speed taxi test, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The noncertificated pilot was performing a high-speed taxi on a grass runway when the airplane became airborne, then impacted terrain in a nose-down attitude. The airplane’s left wing and forward fuselage sustained substantial damage.

Examination of the airplane revealed no preaccident malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The accident was consistent with the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack when the airplane became airborne during a high-speed taxi test, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain. Whether a medical factor contributed to the accident could not be determined from available evidence.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN19FA235 for the full record.