Aviat A1 N868X accident near Bentonville, Arkansas

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an attempted go-around after the airplane bounced, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during landing, the tailwheel-equipped airplane bounced. The airplane then bounced again twice and veered left of the centerline, and he applied "stick back" to pin the tail down. He then applied full throttle to go around but did not relieve the back pressure on the stick. Subsequently, the airplane pitched up in a "very high" angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin and subsequent impact with the ground.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA18CA549 for the full record.