DRAGONFLY N7745C accident near Maricopa, Arizona

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and subsequently experiencing an aerodynamic stall and spin at a low altitude.

NTSB analysis

Witnesses reported that, after the pilot uneventfully released a tandem glider, he descended to about 30 feet above the ground and released the tow line. Afterward, the airplane pitched up abruptly until it was about 200 feet above the ground on what appeared to be the downwind leg of the runway traffic pattern. The nose of the airplane temporarily leveled before it pitched up a second time. The airplane then appeared to stall: the left wing dropped, and the airplane spun about two to three revolutions before impacting the ground in a nose-low attitude. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR14LA119 for the full record.