Jihlavan Airplanes Sro KP5 N235KP accident near East Haddam, Connecticut

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain the proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The pilot receiving instruction reported that, during takeoff from the grass adjacent to a paved runway, after adding full power, he held the stick back during acceleration. He added that the airplane did not accelerate "much above the red line (40 mph)" and that he felt a "bump." The airplane then bounced and veered right. The flight instructor reported that, during the takeoff, the angle of attack was "higher than normal" and that the airplane aerodynamically stalled 3 ft above ground level. The right wing dropped, the airplane yawed right, and he and the pilot attempted to recover with nose-down, left-rudder, and left-aileron inputs. The airplane landed sideways, the landing gear collapsed, and the propeller struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot and instructor 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 GAA19CA287 for the full record.