N1516E – Cessna 172 – 2019-07-03 NTSB Accident Report

On July 03, 2019, a Cessna 172 (N1516E) was involved in an incident near Montville, ME. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: 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.

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.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA19CA407. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1516E.