The fatal crash of a Socata TB20 Tobago near Lismore in November 2012 has prompted the Australian Transport Safety Board to issue a warning about aerodynamic stalls.
The Tobago with two people on board crashed during circuits for endorsment training, after an apparent stall at low level.
"On their fifth circuit, and while making a left turn from downwind to base, the aircraft aerodynamically stalled and the left wing dropped steeply," the ATSB investigation report states.
"A recovery was commenced, but the aircraft collided with terrain in a paddock to the east of the Bruxner Highway, about 3 km south of Lismore Airport. Both occupants received fatal injuries and the aircraft was destroyed by the impact and an intense fuel-fed, post-impact fire."
According to the ATSB, the instructor made attempts to recover from the stall, but the aircraft collided with terrain before the recovery measures could be effective. Witnesses described seeing the aircraft in 70-80 degree nose-down pitch, before the nose began to rise and the rate of descent slowed. Another said the aircraft "wobbled up and down" before the crash.
"The accident highlights the need for pilots to minimise the risk of aerodynamic stall, particularly when in proximity to the ground, such as during take-off and landing," the ATSB warns in the investigation report.
The full report is available on the ATSB website.