- Date
- October 28, 2023, 11:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Asheville, AL · On Airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N71CBMustang II
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20231028022129A
- Case key
- 193331
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during initial climb after an aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot was attempting to land on a constrained turf runway. A witness described that the airplane approached the runway too fast, landed long, and bounced several times. The pilot subsequently aborted the landing with limited runway remaining. The witness described that the airplane “staggered into the air” at a high pitch angle with the wings rocking left and right. The pilot described that the airplane’s nose “dropped” before it impacted the ground. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Based on this information, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the aborted landing and subsequent initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71CB
- Reported as
- Mustang II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CB-1
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 2,856
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hogue James H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 26, 2023
- Departed
- SCD · Sylacuaga, AL
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- AL60 · Dugger'S Fld, runway 10/28, 1,800 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 11, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 654 total · 45 in this make and model · 555 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KGAD, 10 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KGAD 281656Z AUTO 25004KT 10SM CLR 26/16 A3021
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.