BU-133 N1940H accident near Hartford, Kentucky

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during an attempted return to the runway.

NTSB analysis

Witnesses reported that, during takeoff, the airplane became airborne about 1,000 ft down the 5,000-ft-long runway and immediately pitched up to a nose-high attitude with little increase in altitude. The witnesses also reported that the engine ran smoothly during the entire event. As the airplane passed the departure end of the runway, it made a slight right turn, followed by a sharp turn to the left back toward the runway. During the left turn, the nose dropped, and the airplane impacted the ground past the end of the runway in a left-wing-low attitude. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. Given the witness statements and the lack of mechanical anomalies, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack while attempting to return to the airport during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and impact with terrain.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22LA294 for the full record.