# NTSB CEN20LA339: Czech Sport Sportcruiser, N467SC, Gober, TX, August 14, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: August 14, 2020, 07:56 local (12:56 UTC) - Place: Gober, TX - Coordinates: 33.479442, -96.098052 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4794&lon=-96.0981&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 101802 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20LA339 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101802/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101802 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA339 ## Probable cause The student pilot’s improper recovery from a power-off stall. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s failure to properly monitor the student pilot during the stall recovery. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535): Personnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 200 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md) - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) (defining event); cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md) - [Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240); cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot was performing a power-off stall and recovery maneuver. The flight instructor was instructing the student through the maneuver as he was performing it. The student performed the maneuver steps correctly until the stall occurred. During the recovery, the student pitched the airplane’s nose down into a near vertical attitude and applied full power instead of pitching the airplane 10o nose down which was the proper recovery attitude, and the airplane entered an inverted spin. The flight instructor reported that she was caught off guard by the student’s actions during the recovery and immediately took control of the airplane. She attempted to recover the airplane from the spin but was unable to regain airplane control. The instructor then deployed the airframe parachute, and the airplane landed in an open field. Surface wind caught the parachute, causing the airplane to be dragged across the field. As a result, the empennage and wings sustained substantial damage. ## Factual narrative On August 17, 2020, about 0756 central daylight time, a Czech Sport Sportcruiser airplane, N467SC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Gober, Texas. The flight instructor and student pilot were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to the student pilot, he was performing a stall recovery maneuver after inducing a power-off stall. The student recalled that, when he felt the nose of the airplane begin to drop, he pitched the airplane nose down and applied full power. The student stated that, as the airspeed increased, he was unable to pitch the nose up or arrest the descent. The flight instructor stated that, in guiding the student in performing a power off-stall, she directed him to pitch the airplane 10° nose high and hold right rudder to keep the airplane coordinated until it stalled. When the stall occurred, she instructed the student to pitch the airplane nose down 10o, increase power, and partially raise the flaps. The instructor recalled that the student pitched the airplane in a near-vertical attitude and added full power. The student turned the airplane’s yoke, and the airplane began to spin. The instructor took control of the airplane and attempted to recover the airplane from the spin but was unable to regain directional control. Data from the airplane’s onboard avionics revealed that, at 1256:27, the airplane was configured with 30° flaps was 15° nose high with its airspeed slowing through the expected stall speed of 37 knots. The airplane’s pitch decreased, and, at 1256:32, the airplane was 60° nose low. At that time, the airplane began a roll to the right. At 1256:34, the airplane was 80° nose low and had rolled through 90° of right bank. The airplane continued to roll right until the airplane was inverted with a pitch attitude of about 50° nose low. The flight instructor deployed the airframe parachute, and the airplane landed in an open field. Impact signatures showed that, after landing, the airplane was dragged across the field due to surface wind that had caught the parachute. The airplane flipped, and the empennage and wings sustained substantial damage. Neither pilot reported any flight control malfunction. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N467SC](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N467SC-2022-09-16), registration cancelled 2022-09-16, S/N C0571, built 2016 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Czech Sport SPORTCRUISER (No Series) - Registry model: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER](https://openairdocs.org/model/czech-sport-aircraft-a-s-sportcruiser) (registry code 0600066) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 912ULS series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls-series) (registry code 55572, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: C0571 - Year built: 2016 - Engines: Rotax 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Thrust Flight - Registered owner: Hr Aviation Llc - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Special light-sport (Special) - Departed: ADS, Dallas, TX - Destination: ADS, Dallas, TX - Flight plan: VFR - Equipment: Electronic primary flight display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 35; private, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; seat: right; flight hours: 300 total, 161 in this make and model, 34 in the last 90 days - Student pilot; age 29; student; seat: left; flight hours: 2 total, 2 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 230° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.89 inHg - Observed at: KTKI, 30 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200814020989A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200814020989A), Aug 14, 2020: Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, Gober, TX, Substantial damage. On August 14th, at approximately 0650 hours, a student pilot [privacy data omitted] and CFI [privacy data omitted], took off from kads in sport cruiser N467SC… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 25, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101802. 9.2 MB in all. - Student's statement (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14289579&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Brett%20Patterson%20statement-Rel.pdf - Instructor's statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 51 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14290104&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Brittany%20Crews%20Statement%20for%202020-08-14%20Accident-Rel.pdf - Airplane log data (item 3, CSV, 8.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14289367&FileExtension=csv&FileName=2020-08-20%20N467SC%20Log%20Data-Rel.csv - Case findings (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 1 photo, 253 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14289778&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Case%20Findings%20CEN20LA339-Rel.pdf - Release of aircraft wreckage, NTSB form 6120.15 (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 579 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14289172&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N467SC%20Retention-Release-of-Wreckage-Form_Redacted-Rel.pdf 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.