Aircraft Mfg & Development Co CH 2000 N683AM accident near Atlanta, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while attempting a short-field takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot attempted a short-field takeoff procedure, and air traffic control tower personnel observed the airplane about 200 ft above ground level about 900 ft from the beginning of the runway. The airplane then drifted left, descended, and impacted trees. Although the pilot subsequently reported a loss of engine power and climb performance, a test run of the engine following the accident revealed no anomalies. The pilot had an approximate 5-year gap in flying experience and had not completed a flight review, although he reported about 21 hours of flight experience in the 90 days preceding the accident. He reported a total flight experience of 143.3 hours, of which 59 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. It is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack while attempting a short-field takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low to recover.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA17LA078 for the full record.