Superior CULVER LFA accident near Syracuse, Kansas, April 28, 2022
On April 28, 2022 at about 4:40 pm local time, a 1941 Superior CULVER LFA, registered N37888, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Syracuse, Kansas (Syracuse-Hamilton County Munic airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall while returning to the airport following a partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2022 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Syracuse, Kansas · Syracuse-Hamilton County Munic · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Superior CULVER LFA, built 1941 · all CULVER LFAs on the register
- Registration
- N37888 · no longer on the register · serial 204
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a flight of an airplane after being rebuilt, the engine began to run rough when the airplane was about 150 ft above ground level. Witnesses observed the airplane make a steep left turn in a nose high attitude back toward the direction of the runway. The left wing subsequently dropped, and the airplane entered a rapid descent until it impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude. The airplane was largely consumed by a post-crash fire. During a postaccident examination, there were no mechanical anomalies found that would have precluded normal operation. However, the extent of the post-crash fire prevented an examination of the fuel and ignition systems. When the temperature and dewpoint were plotted on a carburetor icing probability chart, the result was that the airplane was operating in conditions that were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. The investigation was unable to determine if this contributed to the engine roughness. It is likely that the pilot exceeded the critical angle of attack for the airplane as he was returning to the airport to make a precautionary landing when the engine began running rough.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Unknown or undetermined during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 32,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 17, 2021; 6 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 4AC-176-D3 (piston); 6 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 16 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 am from KULS, 30 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KULS 281535Z AUTO 22016G21KT 10SM BKN015 BKN035 19/13 A2984 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on September 14, 2023. 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 | Witness Statements - Courtesy of the Kansas Highway Patrol | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Video of Takeoff and Initial Climb | MOV file | Download |
| 3 | On Scene Diagram - Courtesy of the FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Mfr FAA on Scene Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Mfr Engine Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Record of Memorandum - Regarding Autopsy and Toxicology | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Carburetor Icing Probability Chart | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN22LA185.