Incident Overview
A recent aircraft owner, who had accumulated 25 hours of dual instruction to meet insurance requirements, was practicing solo maneuvers. The pilot climbed to 12,500 feet and leveled off before initiating a steep turn.
Sequence of Events
During the maneuver, the pilot applied left aileron and back pressure to roll into a 60° left bank at 200 knots airspeed. Moderate left rudder was then applied. At that moment, the nose rose, the right wing came over the top, the nose tucked down, and the aircraft entered a steep nose-down spin. The pilot responded by shutting down both engines. After 15 to 20 turns, the spin was stopped. The pilot then began pulling the nose up, and a stall buffet was felt at an altitude of 500 feet above ground level (AGL). Unable to restart the engines, the pilot conducted a gear-up landing in a pasture.
Aircraft Damage
The forced landing resulted in the destruction of the aircraft. The pilot was uninjured.
Probable Cause
Occurrence #1: loss of control - in flight. Phase of operation: maneuvering. Findings: (c) stall/spin - inadvertent - pilot in command; (f) in-flight planning/decision - poor - pilot in command; (c) lack of total experience in type of aircraft - pilot in command.
Occurrence #2: loss of engine power. Phase of operation: descent - uncontrolled. Findings: (c) powerplant controls - improper use of - pilot in command.
Occurrence #3: forced landing. Phase of operation: descent - emergency.
Occurrence #4: in flight collision with terrain/water. Phase of operation: landing - flare/touchdown. Findings: (f) terrain condition - rough/uneven; (c) wheels up landing - intentional - pilot in command.