CULVER LFA N37888 accident near Syracuse, Kansas

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall while returning to the airport following a partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.

NTSB analysis

During a flight of an airplane after being rebuilt, the engine began to run rough when the airplane was about 150 ft above ground level. Witnesses observed the airplane make a steep left turn in a nose high attitude back toward the direction of the runway. The left wing subsequently dropped, and the airplane entered a rapid descent until it impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude. The airplane was largely consumed by a post-crash fire.

During a postaccident examination, there were no mechanical anomalies found that would have precluded normal operation. However, the extent of the post-crash fire prevented an examination of the fuel and ignition systems.

When the temperature and dewpoint were plotted on a carburetor icing probability chart, the result was that the airplane was operating in conditions that were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. The investigation was unable to determine if this contributed to the engine roughness.

It is likely that the pilot exceeded the critical angle of attack for the airplane as he was returning to the airport to make a precautionary landing when the engine began running rough.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22LA185 for the full record.