What happened
During an approach, the pilot attempted to maintain the flight path by maneuvering the aircraft at low speeds and low altitudes after detecting a deviation from the intended trajectory. During these maneuvers, the aircraft reached a state of aerodynamic stall and entered an incipient spin. Due to the low altitude at the time of the stall, the pilot was unable to recover the aircraft before it collided with the terrain.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the aircraft's stability and weight distribution during the approach. It was determined that the aircraft was being operated with a centre of gravity aft of the rear limit. This configuration significantly reduced the aircraft's stability and increased its susceptibility to stalling. Furthermore, the investigation found that this aft center of gravity made any potential recovery from a stall much more difficult.
Findings
- The aircraft was loaded outside of the permissible center of gravity range.
- The low-level maneuvering further depleted the remaining margins of controllable flight.
- The aft center of gravity contributed to the aircraft's inability to maintain stable flight and hindered recovery efforts once the stall occurred.