What happened
The pilot and a passenger were participating in a spot landing contest. During the final approach phase of the maneuver, the aircraft experienced a stall. The pilot reported that the plane fell approximately 50 feet while maintaining a left wing-low attitude. Upon touchdown, the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft then cartwheeled across the surface before coming to rest. The incident resulted in damage to the left wing, propeller, fuselage, and rudder. The pilot later stated that he should have paid more attention to the airspeed during the approach.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical condition of the aircraft following the impact. Examination revealed significant structural damage consistent with a hard landing and subsequent cartwheeling. The nose gear assembly failed upon contact with the ground, likely due to the excessive vertical load from the stall-induced fall. No pre-impact mechanical failures were identified as contributing factors.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a critical phase of flight. The decision to perform a spot landing contest maneuver increased the risk, but the immediate cause was the aerodynamic stall. The pilot acknowledged that attention to airspeed was insufficient during the final approach.
Safety message
Pilots should exercise extreme caution when performing low-speed maneuvers such as spot landings. Maintaining precise control of airspeed and energy management is critical to avoiding stalls, particularly when operating near the ground where recovery options are limited.