Flight History
The flight was intended to transport three passengers and cargo. During takeoff, the pilot observed the tail rising slightly less than usual when forward elevator was applied. He considered this unusual and attributed it to an aft-loaded airplane. He applied additional nose-down trim and continued the takeoff without incident. While en route, the pilot noted the tail oscillating up and down, which he believed was caused by turbulence.
Upon arrival at the destination, the pilot entered a left downwind leg. He reduced power and extended the flaps to 10° abeam the runway end. Turning onto the base leg approximately half a mile from the approach end, he slowed the airplane to 80 mph. While turning final, the airplane seemed to pitch up, prompting the pilot to apply full nose-down pitch trim and extend the flaps another 10°. On short final, he selected full flaps, and the airplane abruptly pitched up to about a 45° angle. The pilot applied full nose-down elevator, verified the pitch trim setting, and reduced the engine power to idle.
When the airplane was approximately 300 feet above ground level, it stalled. The left wing dropped slightly, and the airplane entered a 45° nose-down dive. After allowing the airplane to gain airspeed, the pilot applied full back elevator. The airplane then impacted forested terrain near the approach end of runway 23 at an elevation of about 18 feet.
Postaccident Examination
An examination of the airframe and engine found no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Control continuity for the elevator and rudder was confirmed from the cockpit to the respective surfaces.
Weight and Balance
The airplane's estimated gross weight at the time of the accident was about 7,796 pounds, which was below the maximum gross weight of 8,000 pounds. However, the estimated center of gravity was about 3.2 to 5.6 inches beyond the approved aft limit.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was the pilot's failure to determine the actual weight and balance of the airplane before departure, resulting in operation outside the aft center of gravity limits and a subsequent aerodynamic stall on final approach. A contributing factor was the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to require weight and balance documentation for 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 single-engine operations.