Richard Spatz RV-14A N412RS

Summary

On 13 April 2023 at about 19:12 local time, a Richard Spatz RV-14A registered N412RS was involved in an accident near Fallston, Maryland, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 April 2023 at 19:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Fallston, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Fallston Airport (W42)

Coordinates

39.4984, -76.4134

Aircraft

Richard Spatz RV-14A

Registration

N412RS

Category

Airplane

Year built

2019

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Churchville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA195

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to discontinue an unstabilized approach, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After flying two visual approaches to southwest runway, the pilot initiated a left, 270° turn to enter a right base for the northeast-oriented runway. He turned onto final approach about ¼-nautical mile (nm) from the approach end threshold and about 200 ft above ground level (agl). Although the pilot did not recall the final approach due to his injuries, recorded GPS and engine data indicated that the airplane’s vertical rate of descent increased greatly during the last few seconds of flight, and the engine speed increased, as if the pilot were performing a go-around. Also, the airplane was in a steep right bank just before impact. The airplane impacted an open field about 50 feet short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane and serious injuries to the pilot. The postaccident examination of the wreckage, including the flight controls, fuel system, and engine, did not reveal evidence of a malfunction or anomaly that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane during the flight. Given the available information, it is likely that the pilot initiated the base-to-final turn too close to the runway and tried to salvage an unstable approach. The airplane entered a steep right turning descent while at a low altitude, most likely while in an aerodynamic stall, from which the pilot was unable to recover from before impact with the terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.