On July 9, 1991, a Cessna L-19 (registration N5237G) operated by Stanley Parker, Jr. was involved in an aviation accident near Franconia, NH. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL/SPIN AND IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING BY THE PILOT AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR WINDS AND DOWNDRAFT. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot lost control of the aircraft while executing a descending turn away from a released glider, resulting in a spin and impact with tree tops approximately 100 feet above the ground.
What happened
The pilot was operating an aircraft at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet above the terrain. At this point, the pilot released a towed glider. Immediately following the release, the pilot initiated a descending turn, directing the aircraft away from the glider and toward a nearby ridge.
During the maneuver, the pilot attempted to pull back on the flight controls to arrest the descent or adjust the pitch attitude. The pilot reported that there was no initial response from the controls. As the situation deteriorated, the pilot applied significant back pressure on the control column. This action caused the aircraft to enter a spin.
The pilot managed to recover from the spin in time to avoid a catastrophic impact with the ground but struck the tops of trees approximately 100 feet above the surface.