Accident Details
The accident occurred during the first leg of a positioning flight in an experimental, amateur-built, tail-wheel turboprop airplane. During the landing, the airplane touched down to the right of the runway centerline and subsequently departed the right side of the runway. The pilot then added engine power in an attempt to abort the landing. The airplane lifted off the runway, pitched up at a steep angle, stalled, and impacted the ground.
Examination Findings
Postcrash examination of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions; however, a postcrash fire consumed the majority of the wreckage. The airplane's pitch trim actuator was observed in the landing position, which was the full nose-up position. This configuration would have resulted in a steep nose-up attitude during climb-out if not corrected by the pilot.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had accumulated about 1,930 hours of total flight experience. However, he had only 5 total hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Probable Cause
The probable cause is the pilot's failure to retrim the airplane and maintain aircraft control during an aborted landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the accident airplane make and model.