Dehavilland DHC-1 accident near Benton, Kansas, July 9, 2011
On July 9, 2011 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Dehavilland DHC-1, registered N22DH, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Benton, Kansas (Lloyd Stearman airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot did not maintain sufficient airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2011 · about 4:05 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Benton, Kansas · Lloyd Stearman · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC-1 · all DHC-1s on the register
- Registration
- N22DH · no longer on the register · serial C1-0886
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he was practicing touch-and-go landings and takeoffs when he made a tight 360-degree turn in the pattern for spacing. During the turn, he allowed the airplane to get slow. The airplane stalled and entered a spin with insufficient altitude to recover. The airplane collided with terrain and came to rest against a shed. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane or the engine prior to the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 850 hours in all; 26 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Dehav Eng GIPSY MAJOR (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1K1 Benton KS at 3:30 pm
- Destination: 1K1 Benton KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from AAO, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 29, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Conversation-faa | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Statement Regarding 6120.1 Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N22DH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N22DH: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Dehavilland DHC-1 105 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Dehavilland 861 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Dehav Eng GIPSY MAJOR · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lloyd Stearman Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Kansas 1,147 since 1982 · 150 in the last ten years
- Kansas 5,731 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N22DH 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11LA466.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.