Event CEN20LA339

Factual narrative

On August 17, 2020, about 0756 central daylight time, a Czech Sport Sportcruiser airplane, N467SC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Gober, Texas. The flight instructor and student pilot were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to the student pilot, he was performing a stall recovery maneuver after inducing a power-off stall. The student recalled that, when he felt the nose of the airplane begin to drop, he pitched the airplane nose down and applied full power. The student stated that, as the airspeed increased, he was unable to pitch the nose up or arrest the descent. The flight instructor stated that, in guiding the student in performing a power off-stall, she directed him to pitch the airplane 10° nose high and hold right rudder to keep the airplane coordinated until it stalled. When the stall occurred, she instructed the student to pitch the airplane nose down 10o, increase power, and partially raise the flaps. The instructor recalled that the student pitched the airplane in a near-vertical attitude and added full power. The student turned the airplane’s yoke, and the airplane began to spin. The instructor took control of the airplane and attempted to recover the airplane from the spin but was unable to regain directional control. Data from the airplane’s onboard avionics revealed that, at 1256:27, the airplane was configured with 30° flaps was 15° nose high with its airspeed slowing through the expected stall speed of 37 knots. The airplane’s pitch decreased, and, at 1256:32, the airplane was 60° nose low. At that time, the airplane began a roll to the right. At 1256:34, the airplane was 80° nose low and had rolled through 90° of right bank. The airplane continued to roll right until the airplane was inverted with a pitch attitude of about 50° nose low. The flight instructor deployed the airframe parachute, and the airplane landed in an open field. Impact signatures showed that, after landing, the airplane was dragged across the field due to surface wind that had caught the parachute. The airplane flipped, and the empennage and wings sustained substantial damage. Neither pilot reported any flight control malfunction. The student pilot was performing a power-off stall and recovery maneuver. The flight instructor was instructing the student through the maneuver as he was performing it. The student performed the maneuver steps correctly until the stall occurred. During the recovery, the student pitched the airplane’s nose down into a near vertical attitude and applied full power instead of pitching the airplane 10o nose down which was the proper recovery attitude, and the airplane entered an inverted spin. The flight instructor reported that she was caught off guard by the student’s actions during the recovery and immediately took control of the airplane. She attempted to recover the airplane from the spin but was unable to regain airplane control. The instructor then deployed the airframe parachute, and the airplane landed in an open field. Surface wind caught the parachute, causing the airplane to be dragged across the field. As a result, the empennage and wings sustained substantial damage. 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).

• — Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring other person-Instructor/check pilot
• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Student/instructed pilot