Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering (turning) after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall at too low of an altitude to allow recovery.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On July 12, 1996, about 1715 central daylight time, a homebuilt, Tocholke 1300-Z, N398MT, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91, personal, local flight, crashed while on takeoff from a private airport near Lascassas, Tennessee . Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot received serious injuries.
The pilot stated that after takeoff to the west, he performed a left turn to the south, during the turn, "the left wing stalled after experiencing turbulence," and the airplane struck the ground at a "level attitude" on level terrain. Rescue personnel asked the pilot what happened, and he said that he had just taken off, "made a hard bank left and lost it. It was my fault...."
The FAA Inspector stated that the pilot told him that he had no mechanical problems with the airplane or the engine. An examination of the engine and airframe revealed no discrepancies.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA96LA182