Low-Speed Loss of Control

FLYING Staff

Thursday, July 03, 2008 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Low-altitude, low-speed loss of control accidents, often involving stalls, are a significant cause of serious general aviation incidents, frequently triggered by distractions during maneuvers or approaches.
The primary underlying issue is often a pilot's inadequate understanding or management of the Angle of Attack (AoA), which determines when a wing stalls, rather than solely relying on airspeed indicators.
To prevent these critical accidents, pilots must actively manage AoA by maintaining safe airspeeds (adjusted for bank and weight), limiting bank angles at low altitudes, and being especially vigilant during high-risk flight phases such as approaches, go-arounds, and initial climbs.

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From an NTSB preliminary report on an accident involving a Piper PA-46-500TP (Meridian turboprop single): “An eyewitness, a retired Navy instructor pilot, located about one half-mile northwest of the accident site, reported observing the accident airplane descending through the overcast about 1227. The airplane leveled off about 300 feet above ground level (agl) and turned south on a compass heading of approximately 195 degrees. A couple of minutes later the witness observed the airplane heading north on an approximate heading of 15 degrees but at a ‘much slower’ airspeed. The eyewitness then observed the airplane roll right to an approximately 60-degree angle before the nose of the airplane fell through to an ‘extreme nose-low attitude.’ After the airplane disappeared behind trees, the witness heard a crash and observed black smoke. The witness further stated, ‘The [airplane] exhibited a classic approach turn stall maneuver I had taught many times, but this time with no altitude to recover.’ “

The pilot was trying to fly an ILS approach and the accident occurred after the pilot reported he was having trouble performing a “coupled” approach and that he was trying to “get control” of the airplane.