Event CEN18CA293

Factual narrative

The private pilot stated that, during the initial climb after takeoff, after "leveling out" and seeing an increase in airspeed, "the [flight] control got mushy, and the airplane began to sink slightly." The pilot added flaps and verified engine throttle position; however, the airplane continued to sink, and the flight controls continued to feel mushy. The pilot pushed the nose forward and retracted the flaps. The airplane descended and hit a ditch and gravel road before coming to rest adjacent a chain-linked-fence. Both wings were bent down and partially separated, both main landing gear collapsed, and the fuselage was impact damaged. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane. A video of the accident corroborated the pilot's statement. An examination of the airplane, conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator in charge and Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The private pilot stated that, during the initial climb after takeoff, the flight controls got mushy, and the airplane began to sink. The pilot added flaps and verified engine throttle position; however, the airplane continued to sink, and the flight controls continued to feel mushy. The pilot pushed the airplane's nose forward and retracted the flaps. The airplane descended and hit a ditch and gravel road before coming to rest adjacent to a chain-link fence. Examination of the airplane and related systems revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot's statement, along with the video of the accident, revealed that the ;ilot did not maintain an adequate airspeed during the initial climb and should have climbed more shallowly. Due to the low airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, the airplane aerodynamically stalled. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Fence/fence post-Contributed to outcome
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Sloped/uneven terrain-Contributed to outcome