Amateur-built 7 N789RB accident near Crowell, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during low-level flight, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control at an altitude too low to recover.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane was performing a slow speed low pass over an unpaved airstrip when he initiated a climb to the left. A witness reported that, when the airplane was about 650 ft above the ground, it “stalled,” the left wing dropped, and the nose went straight down. He additionally reported that the engine was running throughout the flight. The airplane was consumed by a postcrash fire; however, examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Autopsy of the pilot revealed significant coronary artery disease and a variety of medications that cause significant depression of the central nervous system, including four sedating antihistamines. Some of these medications were found only at very low levels, but the only specimens available were in cavity blood, which may not represent levels in antemortem intravascular blood or be directly related to effects. The reason for the pilot’s concomitant use of antihistamines was unknown, as are the potential effects of using them in combination, including any hangover or withdrawal effects. Therefore, whether effects from the pilot’s use of multiple sedating medications contributed to the circumstances of this accident could not be determined.

Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack during low-level flight, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control at an altitude too low to allow for recovery.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22LA163 for the full record.