Accident Details
The airplane made a sudden steep turn to the right, rolled inverted, and impacted the ground just after the landing flare. The airplane was executing a normal landing approach to runway 08 and had flared. The engine suddenly went to full power, the nose pitched up, and the plane abruptly turned to the right. It then continued to roll right and impacted the ground inverted at the south edge of the airport boundary.
Witness Observations
Two witnesses stated that they saw an airplane take off from runway 26 (the opposite direction) moments after the crash. Approximately 5 minutes after the accident, radar data identified a contact 2 miles east of the airport, traveling at 85 knots, departing the vicinity. Four minutes would be the approximate amount of time required for an airplane traveling at 85 knots to perform a downwind departure from the airport and appear on radar 2 miles to the east, if it followed the approximate 5.5-mile downwind departure route. Radar coverage to pattern altitude was not possible due to the mountainous terrain in which the airport is located.
Examination Findings
Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of a preimpact malfunction or failure of the control system or power plant. The airplane's sudden turn and right roll is consistent with the result of a cross-control stall to the right, as described by the Airplane Flying Handbook.