Amateur-built RV-4 N262DF accident near Rowlesburg, West Virginia

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate airspeed/angle-of-attack during the landing approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, and impact with terrain.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, he was on approach to a private turf airstrip when the accident event occurred. He said that after overflying the runway, he descended to 200 feet as he entered a tight left downwind leg of the traffic pattern over a nearby river. As he made the turn from downwind to final, he noted that his angle of attack instrument was reading well below critical angle, then within a second the plane rolled right and “slammed” into the ground. He offered the hypothesis that a sudden gust cut his lift and resulted in the stall/spin. He also stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Witnesses at the airport describe that they saw the airplane on the downwind leg of the approach, and that the airplane was closer to the airport compared to other airplanes that had been landing on the same runway. The witnesses described that the airplane was low, about 30 to 40 ft above the ground, and in a steep bank at high speed when it impacted the ground approximately 500 yards from the end of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector confirmed that the airplane’s fuselage and wings were substantially damaged.

Given this information, it is likely that the pilot failed to fly the airplane at an appropriate airspeed/angle-of-attack during the landing approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, and impact with terrain.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA23LA010 for the full record.