Sea & Sky Inc KRUCKER CYGNET N38AT accident near Point Venture, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s abrupt pitch up maneuver in response to the localized wind conditions which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude and subsequent impact with water.

NTSB analysis

The pilot’s wife, who witnessed the accident flight, reported that he trailered the aircraft to a nearby marina, set up the aircraft, and took off. He flew westbound about 150 ft above the water and made several turns without issue. Another witness reported that the engine sounded “normal” and “steady” when the aircraft pitched up steeply. It kept climbing and this witness thought the pilot was conducting an aerobatic maneuver. The nose of the aircraft dropped, and the aircraft descended into the water. Neither witness reported any visual anomalies with the aircraft.

A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operations.

Varying coastlines, such as the peninsula where the accident flight was conducted, can also affect local wind conditions by creating areas of convergence. Updrafts, downdrafts, and thermals can cause the nose of a weight-shift-control aircraft to raise and lower during flight. Since the pilot was reportedly accustomed to flying over the ocean, it is possible the local wind conditions affected the aircraft in ways he did not expect. It was likely in response to these wind conditions that the pilot abruptly pitched the aircraft that resulted in a nose-high attitude and subsequent stall at a low altitude, which did not allow for recovery before the aircraft impacted the water.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22LA008 for the full record.