Sabrena DRAGONFLY N7745C

Summary

On 24 February 2014 at about 01:00 local time, a Sabrena DRAGONFLY registered N7745C, operated by Knight Mark J, was involved in an accident near Maricopa, Arizona, 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

24 February 2014 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Maricopa, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Ak-Chin Regional Airport (A39)

Coordinates

32.9878, -111.9181

Aircraft

Sabrena DRAGONFLY

Registration

N7745C

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Knight Mark J

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Maricopa → Maricopa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14LA119

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and subsequently experiencing an aerodynamic stall and spin at a low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported that, after the pilot uneventfully released a tandem glider, he descended to about 30 feet above the ground and released the tow line. Afterward, the airplane pitched up abruptly until it was about 200 feet above the ground on what appeared to be the downwind leg of the runway traffic pattern. The nose of the airplane temporarily leveled before it pitched up a second time. The airplane then appeared to stall: the left wing dropped, and the airplane spun about two to three revolutions before impacting the ground in a nose-low attitude. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.