Accident Sequence
On October 17, 2021, at about 1402 mountain standard time, a Rockwell International 112B airplane, registration N112LS, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Three Points, Arizona. The pilot, who was operating the aircraft on a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91, sustained fatal injuries.
According to recorded automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, the airplane departed Ryan Field (RYN) in Tucson, Arizona, from runway 24L at about 1339. It climbed to 4,500 ft mean sea level (about 2,700 ft above ground level) and traveled southwest for approximately five minutes. The flight then entered a series of maneuvers, including multiple 180° turns over a southbound road, continued southwest, made a wide right turn followed by a left turn, and performed four 360° turns. Subsequently, the airplane headed southwest and then southeast, with airspeed decreasing to about 60 knots. At about 3,800 ft agl, the airspeed slowed to approximately 50 knots and the airplane entered a steep descending left turn. It continued in a descending left turn until ADS-B contact was lost at about 1402, at an altitude of about 250 ft agl near the accident site.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The airplane was a Rockwell International 112B. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, its stall speed with landing gear and flaps retracted is 61 knots. The pilot was preparing for an upcoming flight review scheduled for the following Tuesday, as reported by a friend. The flight instructor scheduled for the review could not be identified during the investigation. The pilot's logbook was not located.
Postaccident Examination
Concerned friends tracking the flight contacted local authorities later that afternoon, and the wreckage was located that evening by law enforcement on level, wooded desert terrain. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted the ground in a flat, wings-level attitude with no debris path. The aircraft remained mostly intact and sustained postimpact fire damage. The engine cowling separated and was found 20 ft from the engine, and broken plexiglass surrounded the main wreckage. All flight controls were present at the site, and flight control cable continuity was established to the cabin area. The flap and landing gear configuration could not be determined. Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe found no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Performance Study
A National Transportation Safety Board aircraft performance study indicated that the airplane slowed to a calibrated airspeed very near its reported stall speed. During the final two minutes of flight, the aircraft was flying only 4 to 7 knots above the stall speed. The airspeed then dropped below the stall speed, and the airplane rapidly lost altitude while in a tight left turn.