What happened
The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) approach for landing. During the final phase of the maneuver, the landing gear was lowered and full flaps were deployed to slow the aircraft. The pilot reported allowing the airspeed to decrease excessively, which resulted in the aircraft entering a stall condition. As the stall developed, the nose and left wing dropped significantly. In response, the pilot applied full power to recover. Although the nose rose slightly during the recovery attempt, the aircraft was unable to regain sufficient lift and impacted the ground.
The pilot was unable to recall the specific airspeed maintained during the approach. Furthermore, he could not provide the wings-level, full-flap stall speed for this particular aircraft type, indicating a lack of familiarity with critical performance limits during this configuration.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage and review of the pilot's statements confirmed that the aircraft was in a stalled condition at the time of impact. The mechanical systems appeared to function as intended, with no evidence of pre-impact failure. The primary factor was the loss of airspeed below the stall threshold while flaps were fully extended.
Findings
The accident occurred during the landing phase of flight. Contributing factors included the pilot's decision to allow airspeed to decay too low and the subsequent inability to recover from the stall before ground contact. The lack of knowledge regarding the specific stall speed for the full-flap configuration played a role in the loss of control.
stall during approach