20230929014289A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Smith William S SMITH COZY MARK IV · Cullman, AL · September 29, 2023

Date: September 29, 2023 · 11:35 local
Place: Cullman, AL
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N95SF
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA23FA382
Reported as: Smith William S Smith Cozy Mark IV
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 11,300 total

N95SFRegistered now · Smith William S SMITH COZY MARK IVS/N 0870 Airframe modelSmith William S SMITH COZY MARK IV

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

34 Minutes into recreational flight, aircraft descended from approx. 5000 ft. AGL to 25O ft. and made turns over witnesses’ grass strip. Upon making second turn, witnesses reported a change in engine sound and noticed the rear of the aircraft move side to side laterally, appearing to ‘slip’ as in an uncoordinated turn. The aircraft stalled and impacted the ground with nose level and left wing slightly down. Pilot (privacy data omittedbuilder) was fatally injured upon impact and the aircraft was substantially damaged.

As the FAA filed it

34 MINUTES INTO RECREATIONAL FLIGHT, AIRCRAFT DESCENDED FROM APPROX. 5000 FT. AGL TO 25O FT. AND MADE TURNS OVER WITNESSES’ GRASS STRIP. UPON MAKING SECOND TURN, WITNESSES REPORTED A CHANGE IN ENGINE SOUND AND NOTICED THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT MOVE SIDE TO SIDE LATERALLY, APPEARING TO ‘SLIP’ AS IN AN UNCOORDINATED TURN. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH NOSE LEVEL AND LEFT WING SLIGHTLY DOWN. PILOT (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^BUILDER) WAS FATALLY INJURED UPON IMPACT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA23FA382Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportCullman, ALThe pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot/owner’s improper installation of engine…Sep 29, 2023 · Substantial damage