What happened
During the final phase of a personal cross-country flight, the pilot was maneuvering the aircraft for landing on a private grass strip. While executing a turn from the base leg to the final approach course, the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. The loss of lift caused the aircraft to fall in an uncontrolled manner until it impacted the terrain.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the wreckage was conducted to determine the mechanical condition of the aircraft prior to impact. Investigators found no evidence of pre-impact malfunctions or failures in the flight control systems or the powerplant. Physical inspection of the propeller blades revealed significant bending and deformation consistent with considerable power being developed at the moment of impact, indicating the engine was operating normally just before the crash.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to this accident was the aerodynamic stall during a critical phase of flight. The absence of mechanical failure suggests that pilot error or environmental factors related to the low-altitude maneuvering on unprepared terrain were likely involved, though no specific pilot action is cited beyond the stall event itself.