What happened
The pilot was conducting a flight demonstration involving a stall maneuver for a passenger on board. During the execution of this exercise, the pilot initiated a recovery from the stalled condition. Despite applying full power to the engines, the aircraft continued its descent rather than regaining altitude. The main landing gear subsequently struck a rock wall during this uncontrolled descent. The impact caused the airplane to flip over completely before coming to rest in an adjacent corn field.
The investigation
Post-accident examination revealed that the pilot had not accounted for the additional weight of the passenger when performing the stall maneuver. This miscalculation likely contributed to the aircraft's inability to recover from the stall despite full power application. The physical evidence indicated a direct impact with terrain followed by a rollover event.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was the pilot's failure to compensate for the increased gross weight during the stall demonstration. This oversight resulted in an inadequate margin of safety and prevented successful recovery from the stalled state. The presence of a passenger added mass that altered the aircraft's performance characteristics beyond what the pilot had anticipated.
Safety message
Pilots must carefully calculate performance parameters for all flight maneuvers, ensuring that passenger weight and fuel loads are fully accounted for in stall speed calculations and recovery planning.