ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 240949
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| Date: | Saturday 5 September 2020 |
| Time: | 13:30 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing-Stearman N2S-1 Kaydet (A75N1) |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | N373VU |
| MSN: | 75-970 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1940 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6400 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental W670-6N |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Rusk County Airport (KRFI), Henderson, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Henderson-Rusk County Airport, TX (KRFI) |
| Henderson-Rusk County Airport, TX (KRFI) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After about 2.5 hours of uneventful flight, the pilot landed the airplane for a fuel stop. About 20 minutes later, the pilot took off to continue the trip. Upon takeoff, shortly after rotation, the pilot noted that the airplane seemed to be 'mushy,' even though the engine was 'screaming,' as if it were producing power. He stated that the airplane 'seemed to be hanging from the propeller.' The pilot initiated a left turn to return to the runway and decided to level off. After leveling off, the tail of the airplane impacted trees and the airplane went straight down. The passenger got a glimpse at the instruments, and the airspeed indicator showed about 'sixty' when the airplane hit the trees. A witness observed the airplane take off and climb to about 150 feet. He thought that the engine appeared to lose power, but it was still running. He saw the airplane turn to the left and appeared to stall.
Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies. One of the wooden propeller blades was shattered, consistent with rotation at impact. The wreckage was found amidst trees, nose down, consistent with a low inertia impact. It is likely that the pilot initiated a turn at too low an airspeed and the airplane stalled after takeoff.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall after takeoff.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN20LA383
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Sep-2020 04:02 | Geno | Added |
| 06-Sep-2020 04:18 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source] |
| 06-Sep-2020 04:39 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Sep-2020 04:41 | RobertMB | Updated [Date] |
| 06-Sep-2020 09:31 | A.J.Scholten | Updated [Source] |
| 16-Sep-2020 08:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report] |
| 16-Sep-2020 08:31 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Jun-2022 11:35 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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