ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 169228
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 26 August 2014 |
| Time: | 18:30 |
| Type: | Loehle 5151 Mustang |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N73144 |
| MSN: | 5151-150968705 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2007 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotax 582 DCDI |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Chehalis-Centralia Airport - KCLS, Chehalis, WA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Chehalis, WA (CLS) |
| Chehalis, WA (CLS) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The accident pilot had recently purchased the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The seller suggested that the pilot hire an instructor to provide refresher training in tailwheel airplanes. In the intervening 2 weeks, the pilot did not obtain any training. On the day of the accident, a pilot-rated witness reported that he saw the airplane start its takeoff roll from a grassy area that preceded the runway pavement and that the airplane bounced several times, as the terrain appeared to be uneven. The airplane then reached the runway surface and became airborne in an unstable climb, rocking back and forth on both its lateral and pitch axes. The airplane then made a right 180-degree turn at an altitude of about 500 ft above ground level and continued in an unstable climb until the airplane entered a right-wing-low, steep nose-down attitude and impacted terrain less than 1,000 ft east of the initial takeoff point. The witness’ description of the accident sequence is consistent with the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. The airplane was completely destroyed by thermal and impact damage. The severe damage to the airplane and engine precluded their examination.
No pilot flight records were recovered during the investigation. A review of the pilot’s medical history revealed that, in 2011, the pilot was denied a medical certificate because of concerns about behavior observed during the exam, including disorganized thoughts; poor short-term memory; and fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted memories. Additionally, a review of the pilot’s personal records indicated diagnoses of posttraumatic stress syndrome and bipolar disorder, both of which are associated with a variety of symptoms that tend to decrease and increase over time. The pilot’s psychiatric illness was severe enough that he was intermittently described as psychotic. Based on his history of psychiatric disease with at least one episode of impaired judgment and decision-making, it is likely that the pilot’s psychiatric condition(s) directly contributed to his decision to take off from an unauthorized grassy area in an airplane in which he likely had little or no experience.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during initial climb, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was that pilot’s psychiatric disease, which impaired his decision-making ability.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=73144
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Aug-2014 06:08 | gerard57 | Added |
| 27-Aug-2014 09:09 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 28-Aug-2014 04:12 | Geno | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 08-Sep-2014 12:30 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 30-Nov-2017 18:58 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation