ATL94LA103

The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed while maneuvering in the traffic pattern, resulting in an inadvertent stall.

Prior to the accident, the aircraft was observed in the traffic pattern, performing 's' turns behind other traffic. The aircraft crashed in a residential area in a steep, nose low attitude. No eyewitnesses to the accident were located. An inspection of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of aircraft mechanical malfunction or failure. Damage to the propeller was consistent with rotation at the time of impact. Fuel was found in the fuel system. The pilot did not recall the events of the accident sequence.

On May 22, 1994, at 1355 eastern daylight time, a Fairchild M-62, N61845, collided with trees and terrain while maneuvering near the Hendersonville Airport in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The private pilot had serious injuries, and his passenger had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The aircraft was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and no flight plan was on file for the local, personal flight. The flight originated at the Hendersonville Airport at 1345. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration visited the accident site and inspected the aircraft. He reported that the pilot was participating in a local "air fair" at the Hendersonville Airport. The aircraft was observed in the traffic pattern, performing "s" turns behind other traffic. No eyewitnesses to the accident were located, and the pilot did not recall the events of the accident sequence. The wreckage was found in a residential area. The aircraft was in a nose low attitude, resting against a tree. The wings were severed from the fuselage during contact with the trees. The tips of the wooden engine propeller were broken away, with the wood splintered in a direction opposite the direction of propeller rotation. Fuel was found in the fuel system. -