What happened
During the 2010 EAA AirVaries fly-in convention, special air traffic control protocols were in place to manage high traffic density. The accident occurred as the pilot was flying a left traffic pattern for runway 18R. While the aircraft was transitioning from the downwind leg to the base leg, a departure controller cleared a Piper Cub for an immediate takeoff and an angled departure. Because the pilot was monitoring the tower frequency rather than the departure frequency, they were unaware that the departing aircraft would turn left across the runway edge.
As the pilot progressed from the base leg to the final approach, they became concerned about a potential collision with the departing aircraft. The pilot reported overshooting the runway centerline during the turn and, seeing the other aircraft ahead and to the left, decided to abort the landing. During this go-around attempt, the pilot increased engine power only slightly. While scanning for traffic, the aircraft's stall warning systems activated as the right wing stalled. The aircraft subsequently impacted the terrain in a nose-down, right wing low attitude. There were 0 fatalities reported in this incident.
Findings
Investigations involving air traffic control records, witness accounts, and flight data confirmed that the Piper Cub had already cleared runway 18R before the accident aircraft completed its turn to final. No mechanical failures were identified that would have prevented the aircraft from operating normally. The investigation concluded that the pilot's decision to not apply full takeoff power during the go-around led to the aerodynamic stall at a low altitude.