Lake Vermillion, MN, USA
N3937T
Taylorcraft Corporation F19
The airplane was observed to lift off from a frozen lake and maintain a low altitude until reaching cruise speed. The airplane then pitched up into a steep climb during which it entered a spin and began a descent. The airplane impacted the lake while in the spin. An examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was not certified to have, nor was equipped with a stall warning system.
On March 14, 2009, at 1238 central daylight time, a Taylorcraft Corporation, F19, N3937T, sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain following takeoff from the frozen surface of Lake Vermillion, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot received serious injuries. The Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The flight was originating at the time of the accident en route to Cook Municipal Airport, Cook, Minnesota. The pilot stated that he did not recall the accident, but stated that he kept the airplane in ground effect until climb out speed was attained. A witness stated that during takeoff, the airplane lifted off and maintained a low altitude above the ice on the lake. The airplane then rotated at a speed approximately near cruise speed and entered a "pretty steep climb." The airplane's speed decreased as it climbed to an altitude of about 300-400 feet above ground level at which point it did not level off. The airplane began to spin which continued until the airplane impacted the ice. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Civil Air Regulation (CAR), Part 3 was used to certify the first Taylorcraft model airplane, which was the Taylorcraft 19 on June 20, 1951. Federal Aviation Regulation, Part 23 (FAR 23), was first published in 1967. The Taylorcraft F19 received certification approval on July 3, 1973, under CAR 3 and FAR 23, but the certification standards relating to stalls was under CAR 3 amendment 3-4, which required a "clear and distinct stall warning." FAR 23.207 requires that the stall warning be "furnished either through the inherent aerodynamic qualities of the airplane or by a device that will give clearly distinguishable indications under expected conditions of flight..." N3937T was not equipped with a stall warning system and no known stall warning kits are available for Taylorcraft airplanes.
The pilot's failure to maintain proper pitch control resulting in a stall/spin.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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