Roe Cleo WITTMAN TAILWIND W10 N557CL

Summary

On 26 October 2016 at about 22:30 local time, a Roe Cleo WITTMAN TAILWIND W10 registered N557CL was involved in an accident near Pearland, Texas, 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 October 2016 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Pearland, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Pearland Rgnl (LVJ)

Coordinates

29.5253, -95.2389

Aircraft

Roe Cleo WITTMAN TAILWIND W10

Registration

N557CL

Category

Airplane

Year built

1992

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pearland → Pearland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17FA026

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a climbing turn after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate training in the airplane, which did not include training on the airplane's stall characteristics.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was departing for a local flight in the experimental, amateur-built airplane, which he had recently purchased. Airport surveillance video showed the airplane in a nose-high attitude and the wings rocking left and right during the initial climb. After a brief period of straight and level flight, the airplane entered a steep left turn with a nose-high attitude. The left wing dropped, and the airplane entered a nose-down spin that continued to ground impact.The postaccident airframe and engine examination did not reveal evidence of any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed during the climbing turn after takeoff and exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin. Although the pilot had received 1.0 hours of flight training in the accident airplane in the 30 days before the accident, he only performed 2 solo takeoffs and landings. This training did not include training on stall characteristics, which the Federal Aviation Administration recommends. If the pilot had received stall training in the airplane, he would likely have been aware of the appropriate airspeeds and pitch attitudes to use while maneuvering after takeoff, and this may have prevented the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.