Amateur-built Mark III N4365E accident near Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Probable cause

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

NTSB analysis

The pilot flew the airplane with the previous owner in Indiana before purchasing it and driving it on a trailer to Steamboat Springs. A witness reported that the pilot intended to taxi around his private airstrip to get a better feel for the airplane. The airplane subsequently lifted off the ground, cleared several fences, and was about 20 ft above the ground when the airplane’s nose suddenly lowered and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

The pilot told the witness that he did not intentionally lower the nose of the airplane. The pilot later told a family member that he stalled the airplane. The airplane was not made available for investigators to examine.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN21LA425 for the full record.