Socata TBM 700 N700AQ

Summary

On 3 October 2019 at about 12:58 local time, a Socata TBM 700 registered N700AQ, operated by N700AQ LLC, was involved in an accident near Lansing, Michigan, United States. 6 people were on board and 5 died, 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

3 October 2019 at 12:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Lansing, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Capital Region International (LAN)

Coordinates

42.7803, -84.6061

Aircraft

Socata TBM 700

Registration

N700AQ

Category

Airplane

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

N700AQ LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Greenwood → Lansing

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20FA001

5 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during final approach, which resulted in a loss of control and an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude, and his decision to operate the airplane outside of the approved weight and balance envelope.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting an instrument approach at the conclusion of a cross-country flight when the airplane entered a shallow climb and left turn away from the runway heading about 0.5-mile from the intended runway. According to airspeeds calculated from automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast position data, the airplane’s calibrated airspeed was 166 knots when it crossed over the final approach fix inbound toward the runway and was about 84 knots when it was on a 0.5-mile final approach. The airplane continued to decelerate to 74 knots while it was in a shallow climb and left turn away from the runway heading. At no point during the approach did the pilot maintain the airframe manufacturer’s specified approach speed of 85 knots. The airplane impacted the ground in an open grass field located to the left of the extended runway centerline. The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in a wings level attitude. The postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The altitude and airspeed trends during the final moments of the flight were consistent with the airplane entering an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude. Based on the configuration of the airplane at the accident site, the pilot likely was retracting the landing gear and flaps for a go-around when the airplane entered the aerodynamic stall. The airplane was operating above the maximum landing weight, and past the aft center-of-gravity limit at the time of the accident which can render the airplane unstable and difficult to recover from an aerodynamic stall. Additionally, without a timely corrective rudder input, the airplane tends to roll left after a rapid application of thrust at airspeeds less than 70 knots, including during aerodynamic stalls. Although an increase in thrust is required for a go-around, the investigation was unable to determine how rapidly the pilot increased thrust, or if a torque-roll occurred during the aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.