Bellanca 7GCBC N90932 accident near Jonesboro, Arkansas

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to practice slow flight maneuvers at an altitude that precluded a recovery from the inadvertent stall after the turbulence encounter.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot reported that while practicing slow flight the airplane encountered “severe turbulence” during a turn and entered an aerodynamic stall/spin. Although he was able to recover from the spin, the airplane had insufficient altitude remaining to facilitate a full recovery to level flight before it impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN26LA209 for the full record.