On May 24, 1981, a Rockwell Aero Commander 560 (registration N272GD) operated by Kestutis Petrauskas was involved in an aviation accident near Walkerton, United States of America during takeoff. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft stalled during the initial climb due to the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A twin-engine aircraft crashed during its initial climb following takeoff from Walketon, resulting in one fatality.
What happened
On the date of the accident, a twin engine airplane departed from the airfield located at Walketon. During the early stages of the flight, while the aircraft was performing its initial climb, it experienced an aerodynamic stall. The subsequent impact with the ground resulted in the death of the pilot, who was the only person on board the aircraft at the time of the crash.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the primary factor leading to the crash was a loss of airspeed. Specifically, the aircraft entered a stall because the pilot failed to maintain sufficient flying speed during the climb phase immediately following takeoff.
Probable cause
The aircraft stalled during the initial climb due to the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed.