Pilot Debrief

MEYERS Midget 0100 near Big Spring, TX — 2019-08-24

Final reportWPR19FA235
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Date
2019-08-24
Location
Big Spring, TX, USA
Aircraft
MEYERS Midget 0100
Registration
N881MM
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain situational awareness while conducting a roll, which resulted in his inability to recover from the maneuver before the airplane impacted the ground. Contributing to the accident was his inexperience in both aerobatic maneuvers and the accident airplane.

Contributing factors

Contributing to the accident was his inexperience in both aerobatic maneuvers and the accident airplane.

NTSB narrative

The pilot purchased the accident airplane, which was his first race airplane, about 8 months before the accident flight and had flown the airplane for an estimated total of 10 hours. Since purchasing the airplane, he had aerobatic training and tailwheel training. A witness, a friend of the pilot who was flying an airplane alongside the accident airplane for the accident flight, stated that sometime before the flight, the pilot mentioned that he had recently rolled the airplane but that it didn’t “go particularly well.” They discussed the maneuver and how to enter and recover from it; the accident flight was the first flight after that discussion. The two airplanes departed and conducted several oval maneuvers above the airport. The witness reported that the pilot wanted to practice a roll, so the two airplanes climbed to about 4,000 ft above ground level. The witness stated that the accident pilot started a “pretty steep” dive; the witness had to maneuver to get the airplane back in sight. When it came into view, the airplane was inverted and slightly nose down. The airplane then entered a steep, tight spiral. The witness dove his airplane and yelled directions over the radio, but the pilot did not respond, and the airplane did not change. It continued to descend for about four or five more spirals when the airplane uprighted. The witness continued to dive his airplane and yell directions over the radio. The witness stated that the airplane appeared to level about 500 ft above the ground and entered a slight about 180° right turn. It appeared to be flying slower than before, but there were no visual indications of anomalies with the airplane. The witness continued to maneuver his airplane to keep the accident airplane in sight and then saw a cloud of dust; the airplane had impacted the ground. GPS data indicated that just before the airplane’s abrupt descent, the ground speed increased from about 115 knots at 6,700 ft GPS altitude to about 160 knots at 6,200 ft GPS altitude. As the data began to show a steep descent trend, the ground speed reached 169 knots; the descent lasted about 14 seconds. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. Given the pilot’s overall inexperience both in the accident airplane and with the roll maneuver, along with a change in the spiral dive at about 500 ft, it is likely the pilot lost situational awareness and was unable to recover from the maneuver before the airplane impacted the ground.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided steep dive after discussing roll maneuver recovery.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Video
  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 8 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents8

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