DFW06CA042

NTSB accident investigation · CASA 1.131E · McKinney, TX · December 25, 2005

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
December 25, 2005, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
Place
McKinney, TX
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N131AKCASA 1.131E
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report July 25, 2007
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Dallas, Texas
FAA report
20051225030289A
Case key
62998

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A contributing factor was the pilot's helmet and goggles shifting while maneuvering.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - in flightTakeoff - initial climb
Misc eqpt/furnishings,helmet - shiftedFactor
Aircraft control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Airspeed - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Stall - inadvertentPilot in commandCause
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled

Analysis

The 3,500-hour private pilot departed Runway 36, (a 1,850-feet long by 75-feet wide grass/turf runway) and made a sharp right turn to avoid the airspace of an airport located 4 miles to the south. During the turn, the pilot's new helmet and goggles were blown away from his face by the airstream. The biplane then stalled, spun to the right, and impacted terrain. The airplane came to rest on its nose, inverted, with the tail of the airplane leaning against a telephone pole. The pilot disconnected his harness and egressed the airplane as a post-impact fire ensued. The pilot was uninjured. In the recommendation section of the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the pilot recommended that the accident could have been prevented had an adequate preflight been performed, and had he maintained an appropriate angle of attack to avoid the stall.

Factual narrative

The 3,500-hour private pilot departed Runway 36, (a 1,850-feet long by 75-feet wide grass/turf runway) and performed a sharp right turn to avoid the airspace of an airport located 4 miles to the south. During the turn, the pilot's new helmet and goggles were blown away from his face by the airstream. The biplane then stalled, spun to the right, and impacted terrain. The airplane came to rest on its nose, inverted, with the tail of the airplane leaning against a telephone pole. The pilot disconnected his harness and egressed the airplane as a post-impact fire ensued. The pilot was uninjured. In the recommendation section of the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the pilot recommended that the accident could have been prevented had an adequate preflight been performed, and had he maintained an appropriate angle of attack to avoid the stall.

Aircraft

Registration
N131AK
Reported as
CASA 1.131E
Category
Airplane
Serial number
E3B-216
Airframe hours
330
Engine
Lycoming IA-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Andres U Katz, doing business as Comanche Group INC
Registered owner
Comanche Group INC
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · April 1, 2005 · 20 hours before
Departed
TS63 · McKinney, TX
Destination
KHQZ · Mesquite, TX
Flight plan
VFR
Airport
TS63 · Square Air Airport, runway 36, 1,850 × 75 ft, grass/turf

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
57
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
October 1, 2005
Flight hours
3,500 total · 330 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
280° at 8 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
63 °F, dew point 27 °F
Altimeter
29.98 inHg
Observed at
KTKI, 4 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.