Nagel SAL 2/3 P51 accident near Schenectady, NY
On September 23, 2008, a Nagel SAL 2/3 P51 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Schenectady, NY. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 23, 2008
- Place
- Schenectady, NY
- Aircraft
- Nagel SAL 2/3 P51 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 42.851°N, 73.924°W
- NTSB ID
- 20081009X21549
Official records · NYC08LA322
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Controller Statements: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 23, 2008, at 1501 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built SAL 2/3 P51, N51WW, was destroyed following an uncontrolled descent after takeoff from Schenectady Airport (SCH), Schenectady, New York. The certificated private pilot was killed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight that was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The owner of the airplane was interviewed by telephone and provided written statements. He had purchased the airplane, but later decided that he lacked the experience in tailwheel airplanes required to test fly it. The pilot originally contacted to test fly the airplane was not available, and he recommended the accident pilot to the owner. The accident pilot acquired and reviewed the "pilot operating notes" for the accident airplane from the previous owner, as well as the airplane operations limitations from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On September 21, 2008, the pilot completed several high-speed taxi tests, and reported engine vibrations and misfiring when operating around 2,500 rpm. The owner performed troubleshooting, and identified a bad spark plug, which he replaced. On the day of the accident, the pilot resumed testing the airplane, determined the engine was operating smoothly, and requested a takeoff clearance from the tower controller. A review of video footage of the flight revealed only the takeoff and initial climb, before the videographer announced, "he's close to a stall" and lowered the camera. Duri
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb, which led to an aerodynamic stall.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
