Great Lakes 2T-1(MENASCO SPECIAL N818K accident near Salisbury, Maryland

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.

NTSB analysis

The pilot and pilot-rated passenger departed the runway in the vintage biplane for a local flight. The pilot and passenger each had limited recollections of the accident flight, but the passenger remembered that, during the flight, the airplane felt “slow and mushy.” A witness on the ground recorded a video of the airplane’s takeoff and initial turn to the right, and strong engine noise could be heard throughout the video. The witness described that, shortly after he stopped recording, the airplane completed an approximate 180° turn back toward the airport. He then saw the airplane descend out of sight behind trees before he heard a “thud” and saw a puff of dust. The airplane came to rest in a grassy open field and exhibited damaged signatures consistent with a relatively low-energy, left-wing- and nose-low impact attitude.

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Given the findings of the postaccident examination, including the impact signatures observed on the wreckage as well as the passenger’s description that the airplane felt “slow and mushy,” it is most likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and subsequent impact with terrain.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA229 for the full record.