Flightstar FLIGHTSTAR II SC N6116U

Summary

On 14 July 2022 at about 23:40 local time, a Flightstar FLIGHTSTAR II SC registered N6116U was involved in an accident near Russell, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 July 2022 at 23:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Russell, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Shield Farm (5PA6)

Coordinates

41.9298, -79.0461

Aircraft

Flightstar FLIGHTSTAR II SC

Registration

N6116U

Category

Airplane

Year built

2001

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA312

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed and exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack while attempting to climb over trees, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-certificated pilot and his passenger lifted off about halfway down the 1,650 ft grass runway. During the initial climb, the airplane drifted to the left without gaining sufficient altitude to clear trees bordering the left side of the runway. As they approached the trees, the pilot increased the pitch attitude to clear them; in doing so, the airspeed degraded below the stall speed of 31 knots while simultaneously striking the tree branches. The airplane then descended and impacted terrain. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Engine sounds recorded on a wing-mounted video camera revealed the engine was operating normally during the entire flight. The debris path and impact signatures were consistent with an aerodynamic stall. Based on the evidence, the pilot turned towards the trees after takeoff and made a decision to fly over them. However, in doing so he exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. The investigation identified no issues that would have affected the airplane’s climb performance.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.