Low and Slow Leads to Tragedy at STOL Drag Event

The STOL community turns introspective following an accident at the MayDay STOL Drag event on Friday.

Julie Boatman

Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 11:17 AM ET

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Tom Dafoe (right) and son Will in front of the family Cessna 140 in Lubbock Texas. [FLYING Archive]

Key Takeaways:

During an unsanctioned STOL Drag practice at the MayDay event in Wayne, Nebraska, pilot Tom Dafoe tragically died when his Cessna 140 crashed after reportedly entering a stall-spin state on final approach.
The accident, which occurred after strong winds had already prevented the official contest, resulted in the total loss of Dafoe's aircraft.
The STOL community responded by canceling the remaining competition, initiating a safety standdown to examine the incident, and planning for future events with increased conservatism.
Dafoe was remembered as a passionate and respected aviator with a long career in the industry, and a memorial fund has been established to support his family.

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Under grumbling skies and buffeted by brisk winds, MayDay STOL Drag had promised to be a great spring-into-summer gathering for the short-takeoff-and-landing community with a running of a STOL Drag matchup. Those winds precluded the official STOL Drag contest from taking place on Friday, but a handful of competitors took advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate short takeoffs and landings that quivered to a stop, often tails up taking advantage of the headwind, in an unsanctioned practice event.

The afternoon daisy chain around the pattern at Wayne, Nebraska (KLCG) included Steve Henry’s Number 44, Yee Haw, Hal Stockman in Lawnmower 3, and Tom Dafoe flying his vintage Cessna 140, among others. The event came to a halt when Dafoe apparently got slow on final behind another competitor and entered a stall-spin state from wings level on approach at about 300 feet agl.