GUNTERSVILLE, AL, USA
N84EJ
Bede Aircraft BD-5B
AFTER LIFT OFF FROM THE RUNWAY, AT ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT FEET, THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED & THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE PITCHED DOWN. THE AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH A SIDE STICK CONTROLLER & A MANUALLY ACTUATED LANDING GEAR. THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE IS LOCATED FORWARD OF THE PILOT IN THE CENTER OF THE FLOOR, BETWEEN THE PILOT'S LEGS, & IS PULLED AFT TO RETRACT THE GEAR. THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE RUNWAY WHICH SEPARATED THE OIL COOLER SCOOP. THE PILOT THEN ENTERED A RIGHT HAND TRAFFIC PATTERN. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, AS THE AIRPLANE WAS TURNED FROM THE BASE TO FINAL LEG IT STALLED ABRUPTLY, ROLLED LEFT MORE THAN ONCE, AND BEGAN A VERTICAL DIVE TO IMPACT. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED FIRE DAMAGE AND CONTINUITY OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE PILOT'S HANDBOOK INDICATES THAT AN ACCELERATED STALL WILL RESULT IN A LEFT ROLL. IT ALSO STATES THAT A STALL BUFFET WILL OCCUR ABOUT 72 MPH. THE LOG BOOK FOR N84EJ NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD A CLEAN STALL SPEED OF 80 MPH, & A STALL SPEED OF 85 MPH IN A 60 DEGREE ONE 'G' RIGHT TURN.
THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT STALL OF THE AIRPLANE, DURING THE BASE TO FINAL TURN, AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE TO EFFECT RECOVERY. FACTORS WERE THE IMPROPER LIFT OFF, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE RE CONTACTING THE RUNWAY AFTER LIFT OFF, AND SERVED TO DISTRACT THE PILOT DURING THE TURN TO THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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