- Date
- July 3, 2019, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Montville, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1516ECessna 172
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190703009109A
- Case key
- 99785
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 the proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a low-altitude climbing turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 4
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 reported that he had performed a practice candy drop pass over a field about 300 ft above ground level. He then initiated a climbing 30º banked, right turn to circle back to the field and "neglected [the] airspeed," and the airplane aerodynamically stalled, descended, struck trees, and impacted the ground inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. 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 reported that, he had performed a practice candy drop pass over a field about 300 ft above the ground. During the climbing 30º banked right turn to circle back to the field, he "neglected [the] airspeed" and the airplane aerodynamically stalled, descended striking trees, and impacted the ground inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1516E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172 71030
- Airframe hours
- 5,072
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 13, 2018
- Departed
- BST · Belfast, ME
- Destination
- BST · Belfast, ME
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Onboard weather, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 25, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 240 total · 190 in this make and model · 188 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Observed at
- KWVL, 18 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 18, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.
Other investigations on N1516E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.