# NTSB ERA14FA337: Culver LFA, N41716, Limington, ME, July 12, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: July 12, 2014, 16:19 local (20:19 UTC) - Place: Limington, ME - Coordinates: 43.7625, -70.677497 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.7625&lon=-70.6775&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report January 27, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO, Continental Motors - NTSB case key (mKey): 89646 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA14FA337 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89646/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89646 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA337 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Culver LFA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=8730204), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Culver LFA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=8730204), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: angle of attack](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Culver LFA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md?model=8730204), [All aircraft, 990 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) (defining event); cases with it: [Culver LFA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=8730204), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Culver LFA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=8730204), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to witnesses, the airplane departed in a slow, nose-high attitude takeoff from the runway. The handheld GPS recorded that airplane was slow and climbed about 135 feet over the runway before stalling to the left about 2,200 feet down the 2,973-foot runway. One witness stated the engine noise sounded normal while two other witnesses reported a momentary sputter of engine noise, followed by a return to power. The engine noise then seemed normal for 5 to 10 seconds before the sound of impact. All three witnesses concurred that the airplane seemed lower than it should have been during the takeoff. Examination of the wreckage revealed that adequate fuel was onboard and that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Additionally, although the carburetor was susceptible to serious icing at glide power for the given temperature and dewpoint, the engine would have been set to full power for takeoff; thus, carburetor icing was unlikely. A teardown examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or fuel contamination. The engine had accumulated about 115 hours of operation since its most recent overhaul, which was completed about 35 years before the accident. ## Factual narrative The two-seat, low-wing, retractable tailwheel airplane, serial number 433, was manufactured in 1942. It was powered by Continental Motors C-85-12F, 85-horsepower engine, equipped with a McCauley two-blade, fixed-pitch propeller. According to the aircraft logbooks, the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on September 5, 2013. At that time, the airplane had accumulated 1,757.15 total hours of operation and the engine had accumulated 87.16 hours since major overhaul, which was completed in 1978. The airplane had flown about 28 hours from the time of the most recent annual inspection, until the accident. The pilot had purchased the airplane on September 27, 2013. On July 12, 2014, about 1619 eastern daylight time, a Culver LFA, N41716, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees following a loss of control during initial climb from Limington Airport (63B), Limington, Maine. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Twitchell Airport (3B5), Turner, Maine. According to a witness, who was a private pilot and based his airplane at 63B, the accident airplane departed runway 29, a 2,973-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. He observed the accident airplane low, approximately 60 feet above ground level (agl), about 2,000 feet down the runway. It was very slow with the nose high and looked like it could stall at any time. The engine noise sounded normal and he did not hear any sputtering. The airplane then stalled to the left and impacted trees off the left side of the runway. Two other witnesses, who lived next to the departure end of the runway, stated that they heard a momentary sputter of engine noise, followed by a return to power. The engine noise then seemed normal for 5 to 10 seconds, which was followed by the sound of impact. They did not see the impact, but noted that the airplane was not as high as it should have been at the end of the runway. An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the State of Maine Medical Examiner's Office, Augusta, Maine, on July 14, 2014. The autopsy report noted the cause of death as "multiple blunt force injuries." Toxicological testing was performed on the pilot by the FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The results were negative for drugs and alcohol. Portland International Jetport (PWM), Portland, Maine, was located about 20 miles southeast of the accident site. The recorded weather at PWM, at 2051, was: wind from 170 degrees at 8 knots; visibility 10 miles; broken ceiling at 25,000 feet; temperature 23 degrees Celsius; dew point 16 degrees Celsius; altimeter 30.15 inches of mercury. Review of an FAA Carburetor Icing chart for the given temperature and dewpoint revealed, "Serious Icing (glide power);" however, thethrottle would have been set to full power for takeoff and was found in the full power position. The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate, with a rating for airplane multiengine land. He also held a commercial pilot certificate, with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first-class medical certificate was issued on April 30, 2014. At that time, he reported a total flight experience of 5,995 hours; of which, 195 hours were flown during the previous 6 months. Review of the pilot's electronic logbook revealed that he had flown 22.7 hours in the accident airplane. Further review of the logbook revealed the pilot had flown 20.4 hours and 0 hours during the 90-day and 30-day periods preceding the accident, respectively; however, the last entry was dated June 6, 2014 and it was likely that the pilot had not yet entered subsequent flights into the electronic logbook. The airplane came to rest in an area of trees in a nose-down, upright attitude, on a northerly heading about 250 feet south of the runway. The 20-gallon header fuel tank was compromised during impact and a strong odor of fuel was present at the site. Both main landing gear were extended and partially separated during impact. The wings remained attached to the fuselage and exhibited leading edge crush damage. The left and right aileron remained attached to their respective wing. The empennage remained intact and was canted left. Control continuity was confirmed from the elevator, rudder, and ailerons to the cockpit controls. Continuity of the elevator trim was confirmed from the tab, through a trim box, to the cockpit area. The cockpit was crushed, but the lapbelts remained intact. The throttle and mixture controls were in the full-forward position. The magneto switch was on Both and the key was broken. The carburetor heat was off and the primer was in and locked. The fuel valve was safety-wired in the open positioned. The propeller remained attached to the engine. One propeller blade exhibit an s-bend near the tip while the other blade was less damaged. The engine was removed from the airframe and examined at the manufacturer's facility, under the supervision of an NTSB investigator. The examination revealed that the engine exhibited substantial damage to the propeller flange and therefore could not be test run. The engine was then disassembled and no other anomalies or mechanical malfunctions were noted that would have precluded normal operation (for more information, see Report of Engine Examination in the NTSB Public Docket). A handheld Garmin GPSMAP 396 was recovered from the wreckage and forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory, Washington, D.C. Data were successfully downloaded from the unit and plotted. Review of the plots revealed that that airplane was on the takeoff roll at 25 knots groundspeed, at 1619:04. The airplane lifted off about halfway down the runway at 51 knots, with a 7-foot gain in GPSaltitude at 1619:21. At 1619:28, the airplane was about 73 feet agl and over the runway at 51 knots, approximately 2,200 feet down the runway, before it began to drift left. At 1619:35, the airplane was left of the runway at 46 knots about 135 feet agl, which was the highest altitude recorded. The next and final data point indicated 39 knots at 63 feet agl, which was recorded over the accident site at 1619:39 (for more information see GPS Device Factual Report in the NTSB Public Docket). ## Aircraft - Registration: [N41716](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N41716), registered now, S/N 433, built 1942 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CULVER LFA (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Culver LFA](https://openairdocs.org/model/culver-lfa) (registry code 8730204) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Franklin 4AC176C-D-F](https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-4ac176c-d-f) (registry code 27007, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 433 - Year built: 1942 - Airframe hours: 1757 - Engines: Continental C-85-12F 85 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Tate Clarke W - Registered owner: Tate Clarke W - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 5, 2013, 28 hours before - Departed: 63B, Limington, ME - Destination: 3B5, Turner, ME - Airport: 63B, Limington-Harmon Airport, runway 29, 2,973 × 50 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Handheld GPS, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: fatal; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: lap only; toxicology performed; flight hours: 5,995 total, 23 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days, 0 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 170° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 30.14 inHg - Observed at: PWM, 20 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 20140712014579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140712014579A), Jul 12, 2014: Culver LFA, Limington, ME, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. Aircraft sustained substantial damaged when it impacted trees during takeoff from Limington airport (63B), Limington, Maine. The pilot was fatally injured.… ## Docket (19 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 15, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89646. 10.8 MB in all. - GPS Factual Report (item 1, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421166&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=GPS%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF - Attachment to GPS Factual Report (item 2, .PDF, 45 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421167&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Attachment%20to%20GPS%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF - Witness Statement (item 3, .PDF, 51 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421168&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Interview Summary (item 4, .PDF, 52 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421169&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Interview%20Summary-Master.PDF - Excerpts From Electronic Pilot Logbook (item 5, .PDF, 59 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421170&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpts%20From%20Electronic%20Pilot%20Logbook-Master.PDF - Excerpts From Maintenance Records (item 6, .PDF, 290 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421171&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpts%20From%20Maintenance%20Records-Redacted.PDF - Fuel Receipt (item 7, .PDF, 86 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421172&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Fuel%20Receipt-Redacted.PDF - Report of Engine Examination (item 8, .PDF, 6.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421173&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Report%20of%20Engine%20Examination-Master.PDF - Map of Accident Site (item 9, .PDF, 317 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421174&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Map%20of%20Accident%20Site-Master.PDF - Weather Report (item 10, .PDF, 72 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421175&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Report-Master.PDF - FAA Carburetor Icing Chart (item 11, .PDF, 255 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421176&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Carburetor%20Icing%20Chart-Master.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 12, .PDF, 136 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421177&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Master.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 13, .PDF, 166 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421178&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Redacted.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage Form (item 14, .PDF, 160 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421179&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage%20Form-Master.PDF - Evidence Control Form (item 15, .PDF, 146 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421180&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Evidence%20Control%20Form-Master.PDF - Photo 1- Front View of Main Wreckage (item 16, .PDF, 331 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421181&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201-%20Front%20View%20of%20Main%20Wreckage-Master.PDF - Photo 2 – Rear View of Main Wreckage (item 17, .PDF, 330 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421182&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20%E2%80%93%20Rear%20View%20of%20Main%20Wreckage-Master.PDF - Photo 3 – Cockpit (item 18, .PDF, 335 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421183&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20%E2%80%93%20Cockpit-Master.PDF - Photo 4 – Engine And Propeller (Photo Courtesy of RYCO) (item 19, .PDF, 193 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421184&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20%E2%80%93%20Engine%20And%20Propeller%20(Photo%20Courtesy%20of%20RYCO)-Master.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.