- Date
- December 27, 2017, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Upper Lake, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3945AAeropro CZ Eurofox
- Defining event
- Landing: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 96566
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 pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the approach to land, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the airplane reported that, during the approach to land, he applied full flaps, but "unfortunately, [he] added power too late and too slowly." Subsequently, "the bottom fell out," and the airplane aerodynamically stalled. The airplane landed hard, the left and right wings impacted the ground, and the airplane skidded to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the airplane reported that, during the approach to land, he applied full flaps, but "unfortunately, [he] added power too late and too slowly". Subsequently, "the bottom fell out" and the airplane aerodynamically stalled. The airplane landed hard, the left and right wing impacted the ground, and the airplane skidded to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3945A
- Reported as
- Aeropro CZ Eurofox (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 178 05
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 756.6
- Engine
- Rotax ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2017
- Departed
- LHM · Lincoln, CA
- Destination
- 1Q5 · Upper Lake, CA
- Airport
- 1Q5 · Gravelly Valley, runway 01, 4,050 × 200 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Data recorder, Airframe parachute, Handheld GPS, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- October 21, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 525 total · 440 in this make and model · 525 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KUKI, 22 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 28, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.