# NTSB WPR19FA133: Just JA30 Superstol, N825PW, Chelan, WA, May 6, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 2 · Field · Final report - Date: May 6, 2019, 06:29 local (13:29 UTC) - Place: Chelan, WA - Coordinates: 47.866489, -119.94173 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.8665&lon=-119.9417&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: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 2 - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 99378 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR19FA133 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99378/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99378 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19FA133 ## Probable cause The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin. ## 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: [Patrick Carroll JA30 SUPERSTOL, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md?model=05633EJ), [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: [Patrick Carroll JA30 SUPERSTOL, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05633EJ), [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. - [Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) (defining event); cases with it: [Patrick Carroll JA30 SUPERSTOL, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=05633EJ), [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: [Patrick Carroll JA30 SUPERSTOL, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05633EJ), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Post-impact: Fire/smoke (post-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170); cases with it: [Patrick Carroll JA30 SUPERSTOL, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170/sequence.md?model=05633EJ), [All aircraft, 354 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was conducting a local flight. An airport surveillance camera captured the accident airplane departing from the runway and entering a nose high left turn. Shortly thereafter, the airplane's bank angle decreased, and its left yaw increased, and the airplane began to descend. A few seconds later, the airplane banked to the left, and entered a nose-low attitude just before impact with the ground. Examination of the engine and the airframe revealed no preaccident anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack during the initial climb, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and spin at an altitude too low to recover. ## Factual narrative About 10 months earlier, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted a dock while the pilot was landing on an airstrip next to a river (NTSB Accident No. GAA18CA443). A friend of the pilot reported that the accident flight was the first flight since the airplane had been repaired. On May 6, 2019, at 0629 Pacific daylight time, a Just Aircraft LLC JA30 Superstol airplane, N825PW, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Chelan, Washington. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A Lake Chelan Airport (S10), Chelan, Washington, airport surveillance camera captured the accident airplane departing from runway 20. As the airplane started to accelerate, the left main landing gear briefly lifted off the runway surface, then contacted the runway again. Shortly thereafter, the airplane became airborne, and entered a nose-high left turn. About 8 seconds after takeoff, the airplane's bank angle decreased; however, its left yaw increased, and the airplane began to descend. About 3 seconds later, the airplane banked to the left and entered a nose-low attitude just before impact with the ground. The Chelan County Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy of the pilot. The autopsy report stated that the pilot's cause of death was inhalation of products of combustion and thermal injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration's Forensic Sciences Laboratory conducted toxicology tests on specimens from the pilot. The results were negative for all tests performed. The accident site was located about 550 ft from the approach end of runway 20 on a heading of 157°. The airplane impacted terrain in a vertical nose-down attitude. Most of the airplane was consumed by the postcrash fire. The left and right wings, horizontal stabilizers, elevators, vertical stabilizer, and rudder remained secure to their respective attach points. Flight control cable continuity was established from the control surfaces to the cockpit area. Examination of the engine and the airframe revealed no pre-accident anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N825PW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N825PW-2021-10-30), registration cancelled 2021-10-30, S/N JA 308-07-13, built 2014 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Just JA30 SUPERSTOL (Undesignat) - Registry model: [Patrick Carroll JA30 SUPERSTOL](https://openairdocs.org/model/patrick-carroll-ja30-superstol) (registry code 05633EJ) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 914 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-914-series) (registry code 55575, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: JA 308-07-13 - Year built: 2014 - Airframe hours: 156.53 - Engines: Rotax 914UL 115 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, March 15, 2019 - Airport: S10, Lake Chelan Airport, runway 20, 3,506 × 60 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 69; injuries: fatal; sport pilot; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: sport pilot; seat: front; toxicology performed; flight hours: 119.5 total, 44.6 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 51 °F, dew point 41 °F - Altimeter: 29.96 inHg - Observed at: KEAT, 30 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 20190506004109A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190506004109A), May 6, 2019: Patrick Carroll JA30 SUPERSTOL, Chelan, WA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Pilot of N825PW departed on rwy 20 climbed to 75FT and turned to heading of approximately 060 degrees stalled and crashed. The impact was fatal followed by a… ## Other investigations on N825PW (1) 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. - [NTSB GAA18CA443](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA443), Jul 22, 2018: Just JA30 Superstol (N825PW), Chelan Falls, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper approach over a river, which resulted in a collision with a dock. ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 27, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99378. 10.1 MB in all. - 6120 From previous accident (GAA18CA443) (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 3.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11428338&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_1_Redacted-Rel-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation (last time pilot flew) (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 69 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11428364&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20friend_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Engine exam (rotech) (item 3, PDF, 4 pages, 27 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11428786&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N825PW%20Engine%20Field%20Notes_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Toxicological report (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 325 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11429099&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=tox_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Release of aircraft wreckage, NTSB form 6120.15 (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 142 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11428944&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Wreckage%20Release%20Van%20Assche%20N825PW_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 6, PDF, 3 pages, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11428934&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=photos_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Video file (item 7, MP4, 4.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11428776&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=IP%20Camera6_Chelan%20Airport_Chelan%20Airport_20190506062852_20190506062912_404609-Rel.mp4 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.