# Accident 20230929014289A: Smith William S SMITH COZY MARK IV, Cullman, AL, September 29, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 29, 2023, 11:35 local time
- Place: Cullman, AL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.2811° N, 86.7525° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2811&lon=-86.7525&mi=10
- Aircraft: N95SF, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N95SF) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Smith William S SMITH COZY MARK IV (registry code 05628TO, https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-william-s-smith-cozy-mark-iv) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SMITH WILLIAM S SMITH COZY MARK IV
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 11,300 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA23FA382](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA382) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230929014289A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA23FA382](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA382), Sep 29, 2023: Smith William S Smith Cozy Mark IV (N95SF), Cullman, AL, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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