Yakovlev YAK 52 N124FS

Summary

On 25 May 2015 at about 14:18 local time, a Yakovlev YAK 52 registered N124FS was involved in an accident near Syracuse, Kansas, 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

25 May 2015 at 14:18

Classification

Accident

Location

Syracuse, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Syracuse-Hamilton Cty Muni (3K3)

Coordinates

37.9810, -101.7491

Aircraft

Yakovlev YAK 52

Registration

N124FS

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Syracuse → Syracuse

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15FA240

1 person died.

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

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot/owner was conducting a local personal flight. GPS data from a handheld device recovered from the airplane revealed that, after takeoff, the pilot maneuvered in the vicinity of the airport. About 22 minutes after takeoff, the pilot twice overflew a residence located about 0.25 mile northeast of the accident site; both overflights were made from east to west, and the pilot flew a left racetrack pattern between the overflights. Immediately after the second overflight, the pilot entered a left turn. A witness observed the airplane turning left when its nose dropped, and it "fell straight down." The final GPS data point was recorded after the airplane had completed about 90 degrees of heading change to the south and was about 500 ft above ground level. The accident site was located about 400 ft east of the final data point, indicating the airplane completed about a further 90 degrees of heading change before ground impact. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted an open field in a nose down attitude and came to rest upright. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. The GPS data indicated that the pilot maneuvered extensively during the flight; however, it did not indicate that he was performing aerobatic maneuvers at any point. The data suggest that the final left turn was flown with a gradually decreasing turn radius consistent with an increasing angle of bank. The abrupt departure from controlled flight as depicted in the GPS data and described by the witness is consistent with the wing's angle-of-attack exceeding its critical angle-of-attack during the turn, resulting in an aerodynamic stall. The stall occurred at an altitude that was too low for recovery. A review of medical and pathological information related to the pilot indicated that a sudden incapacitation or significant cardiac event precipitating the accident was unlikely. Diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine, was detected in the pilot's blood. However, the level of the medication in the pilot's system at the time of the accident could not be accurately determined from the available toxicological data. Therefore, the extent of any impairment due to diphenhydramine at the time of the accident could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.