# NTSB ERA16LA067: Golden Circle Air T Bird II, N92744, Lenoir, NC, December 13, 2015

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: December 13, 2015, 17:24 local (22:24 UTC)
- Place: Lenoir, NC
- Coordinates: 35.944442, -81.489997 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9444&lon=-81.4900&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern crosswind: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious
- Status: Completed, report July 20, 2017
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 92440
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA16LA067
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/92440/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92440
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA067

## Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and a coordinated turn in the traffic pattern, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and entering an aerodynamic stall and spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to remove the airframe parachute activation handle locking pin before flight.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [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: [Golden Circle Air T-BIRD II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md?model=05901WD), [All aircraft, 990 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Golden Circle Air T-BIRD II, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05901WD), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Approach-VFR pattern crosswind: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) (defining event); cases with it: [Golden Circle Air T-BIRD II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=05901WD), [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: [Golden Circle Air T-BIRD II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05901WD), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The private pilot was departing in the experimental light sport airplane. Onboard video footage from a wingtip-mounted camera provided a view of the cockpit. The pilot could be seen with his left hand on the control yoke, but his right hand, which was near the engine throttle, was obscured. The airplane took off and completed the upwind leg of the traffic pattern, and the pilot initiated a right turn toward the crosswind leg. The sound of the engine was smooth and continuous throughout the takeoff and climb. As the airplane entered the turn, a reduction in power was heard, but the engine sound remained smooth and continuous. At the moment of power reduction and the initiation of the turn, the pilot simultaneously applied left aileron, right rudder, and back pressure on the yoke. As the airplane rolled right and nosed down into a spin, the engine could be heard accelerating. The "Remove Before Flight" flag on the locking pin for the airframe parachute deployment handle was observed in the camera's field of view, as the pilot struggled with one hand and then two hands to remove the pin during the descent. Eventually, the pilot freed the pin and actuated the deployment handle as the nose of the airplane entered the tops of the trees. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies. The airframe parachute was free from its canister, but was not fully deployed due to the airplane's low altitude at the time of deployment. The video footage of the pilot simultaneously reducing engine power, increasing the airplane's pitch attitude, and applying opposite aileron and rudder controls is consistent with a cross-controlled aerodynamic stall and subsequent spin.

## Factual narrative

On December 13, 2015, at 1724 eastern standard time, an experimental light sport Golden Circle Air T Bird II, N92744, was destroyed after it departed controlled flight and crashed into trees and terrain after takeoff from Lower Creek Airport (NC27), Lenoir, North Carolina. The private pilot/owner was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the scene said he recovered a wing-mounted video camera, removed the data card, and downloaded the contents. Review of the data revealed the accident flight was captured on the card. Examination of the video revealed that the camera was mounted on the left wing, pointed spanwise along the wing, and provided a view of the cockpit. The pilot could be seen with his left hand on the yoke, but his right hand, which was in the vicinity of the engine throttle, was obscured. The airplane took off and completed the upwind leg of the traffic pattern, and initiated a turn to the right towards the crosswind leg. The sound of the engine was smooth and continuous throughout the takeoff and climb. As the airplane entered the turn, a reduction in power was heard, but the engine sound remained smooth and continuous. At the moment of power reduction and the initiation of the turn, the pilot simultaneously applied left aileron, right rudder, and back pressure on the yoke. As the airplane rolled right and into a nose-down spin, the engine could be heard accelerating. The "Remove Before Flight" flag on the locking pin for the Ballistic Recovery System (BRS) parachute deployment handle was observed in the camera's field of view, as the pilot struggled with one hand and then two hands to remove the pin during the descent. Eventually, the pilot freed the pin, and actuated the deployment handle as the nose of the airplane entered the tops of the trees. The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent second-class Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certificate was issued on July 8, 2011, and he reported 40 total hours of flight experience on that date. Examination of excerpts from the pilot's logbook revealed he had logged 90.6 total hours of flight experience, 25 hours of which were in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot logged 7 hours of flight experience in the 90 days prior to the accident, and 1.2 hours in the 30 days prior; all of which was in the accident airplane. The airplane was manufactured in 2001. The maintenance records were not recovered, therefore the maintenance and inspection history of the airplane could not be determined. At 1735, the weather recorded at Morgantown-Lenoir Airport, 10 miles southwest of the accident site, (MRN) included winds from 140 degrees at 3 knots. Examination of the wreckage by the FAAinspector revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies. The BRS parachute was free from its canister, but was not fully deployed. According to the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook: The aerodynamic effects of the uncoordinated, cross-control stall can surprise the unwary pilot because it can occur with very little warning and can be deadly if it occurs close to the ground… A cross-control stall occurs when the critical AOA is exceeded with aileron pressure applied in one direction and rudder pressure in the opposite direction, causing uncoordinated flight. A skidding cross-control stall is most likely to occur in the traffic pattern during a poorly planned and executed base-to-final approach turn in which the airplane overshoots the runway centerline and the pilot attempts to correct back to centerline by increasing the bank angle, increasing back elevator pressure, and applying rudder in the direction of the turn (i.e., inside or bottom rudder pressure) to bring the nose around further to align it with the runway.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N92744](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N92744-2019-02-26), registration cancelled 2019-02-26, S/N 28434, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GOLDEN CIRCLE AIR INC T BIRD II (NO SERIES)
- Registry model: [Golden Circle Air T-BIRD II](https://openairdocs.org/model/golden-circle-air-t-bird-ii) (registry code 059017D) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 582DCDI](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582dcdi) (registry code 55562, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 28434
- Year built: 2001
- Engines: ROTAX 582DCDI 65 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed: NC27, Lenoir, NC
- Destination: NC27, Lenoir, NC
- Airport: NC27, Lower Creek, runway 23, 3,200 × 150 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment: Unknown

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 22; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 90.5 total, 25 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days, 1.2 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night
- Wind: 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 57 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observed at: KMRN, 10 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 20151213019929A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151213019929A), Dec 13, 2015: Golden Circle Air Inc T-BIRD II, Lenoir, NC, Destroyed. On December 13, 2015 at approximately 1724 local time, N92744 an experimental T-Bird II, took off from lower creek airport (NC27) and subsequently crashed into…

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 16, 2017, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92440. 786 KB in all.

- FAA Inspector Statement - Video Review (item 1, .PDF, 48 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40452274&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Statement%20-%20Video%20Review-Master.PDF
- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Memorandum for Record (item 2, .PDF, 30 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40452275&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1%20-%20Memorandum%20for%20Record-Master.PDF
- Witness Statement (item 3, .PDF, 127 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40452276&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Master.PDF
- Photos (Courtesy of FAA) (item 4, .PDF, 2 photos, 581 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40452277&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-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.

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