Culver LFA N41716 accident near Limington, Maine

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

According to witnesses, the airplane departed in a slow, nose-high attitude takeoff from the runway. The handheld GPS recorded that airplane was slow and climbed about 135 feet over the runway before stalling to the left about 2,200 feet down the 2,973-foot runway. One witness stated the engine noise sounded normal while two other witnesses reported a momentary sputter of engine noise, followed by a return to power. The engine noise then seemed normal for 5 to 10 seconds before the sound of impact. All three witnesses concurred that the airplane seemed lower than it should have been during the takeoff. Examination of the wreckage revealed that adequate fuel was onboard and that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Additionally, although the carburetor was susceptible to serious icing at glide power for the given temperature and dewpoint, the engine would have been set to full power for takeoff; thus, carburetor icing was unlikely. A teardown examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or fuel contamination. The engine had accumulated about 115 hours of operation since its most recent overhaul, which was completed about 35 years before the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14FA337 for the full record.