NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX94LA118
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
the pilot's failure to attain and maintain sufficient flying speed during the first flight test of his experimental homebuilt. A factor in the accident was the pilot's selection of a propeller inadequate for the airframe and engine combination.
Factual narrative
On February 10, 1994, at 1113 mountain standard time, a homebuilt experimental Gansheimer Evans VP2 airplane, N187ES, experienced a thrust deficiency in the takeoff initial climb from runway 6L at Ryan Field, Tucson, Arizona. The aircraft subsequently stalled and mushed into the ground about 300 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. The aircraft was on the first test flight following construction completion and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification in the experimental category. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the mishap as a local area test flight. The pilot reported that the takeoff seemed fine until the aircraft got out of ground effect. The aircraft began oscillating in roll and did not want to climb. The pilot noted that the engine was producing full power throughout the sequence. According to the pilot, the aircraft "mushed back to the ground at 500 feet per minute" and impacted the ground in a slight nose- high attitude about 300 feet off the end of the runway. The pilot said he believes the roll oscillation was caused by an impending stall buffet and the lack of thrust was due to the propeller being of insufficient size. The pilot reported that the takeoff seemed fine until the aircraft got out of ground effect. The aircraft began oscillating in roll and did not want to climb. The pilot noted that the engine was producing full power throughout the sequence. According to the pilot, the aircraft 'mushed back to the ground at 500 feet per minute' and impacted the ground in a slight nose- high attitude about 300 feet off the end of the runway. The pilot said he believes the roll oscillation was caused by an impending stall buffet and the lack of thrust was due to the propeller being of insufficient size. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1994_LAX94LA118.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2026 · Conference Paper
Computational Analysis of Steady State Aerodynamics of Transonic Truss-Braced Wing Configuration in Deep Stall
This study presents a computational investigation of steady state aerodynamics of the Subsonic Ultra-Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) configuration over a wide range …
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Automating Bird Diverter Installation through Multi-Aerial Robots and Signal Temporal Logic Specifications
This paper tackles the task assignment and trajectory generation problem for bird diverter installation using a fleet of multi-rotors.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Variation of Critical Crystallization Pressure for the Formation of Square Ice in Graphene Nanocapillaries
Two-dimensional square ice in graphene nanocapillaries at room temperature is a fascinating phenomenon and has been confirmed experimentally.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Polycrystallinity enhances stress build-up around ice
Damage caused by freezing wet, porous materials is a widespread problem, but is hard to predict or control. Here, we show that polycrystallinity makes a great difference to the stress build-up process…
- arXiv 2022 · arXiv preprint
Enhanced Prediction of Three-dimensional Finite Iced Wing Separated Flow Near Stall
Icing on three-dimensional wings causes severe flow separation near stall. Standard improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) is unable to correctly predict the separating reattaching flow due…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2021 · Journal article (JAAER)
Analysis on the Negative Emotional, Physiological, and Cognitive Responses Elicited from of the Activation of a Stall Alarm
Failing to identify an aerodynamic stall can lead to the inability of an aircraft to sustain flight. To warn pilots of an impending or fully-developed stall, many aircraft have safety devices installe…
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