Clabaugh Robert R BARRACUDA N289DH

Summary

On 26 June 2011 at about 21:55 local time, a Clabaugh Robert R BARRACUDA registered N289DH was involved in an accident near Andalusia, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 June 2011 at 21:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Andalusia, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

South Alabama Regional Airport (79J)

Coordinates

31.3019, -86.3756

Aircraft

Clabaugh Robert R BARRACUDA

Registration

N289DH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Andalusia → Andalusia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11FA360

1 person died.

The pilot did not maintain airspeed while maneuvering on approach for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot/owner was returning from a flight in the high-performance amateur-built airplane, which he had flown about 2 hours previously. Witnesses reported that the airplane appeared slow and in a nose-high attitude while flying in the airport traffic pattern. The airplane was configured with the landing gear extended and full-flaps when the pilot initiated a turn to the left base leg of the traffic pattern. The airplane subsequently descended uncontrolled, collided with trees, impacted the ground, and was consumed by a postcrash fire. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Evidence suggested that the engine was operating at a high power setting at the time of the impact and, due to the airplane’s slow speed and nose-high attitude, it likely entered an aerodynamic stall as it turned to the base leg of the traffic pattern.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.