Pilot Debrief

GOODYEAR F2G near Valley City, ND — 2012-09-07

Final reportCEN12LA615
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Date
2012-09-07
Location
Valley City, ND, USA
Airport
BAC
Aircraft
GOODYEAR F2G
Registration
N5577N
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to initiate the aerobatic maneuver at an altitude that did not allow for full recovery of the airplane before ground impact.

NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported that the pilot completed the initial portion of his airshow practice routine without any apparent difficulties. One witness noted that during those maneuvers, the airplane reached altitudes of about 2,000 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot then executed a four-point roll. The witnesses stated that the airplane pitched up and rolled to the left, as if the pilot were entering a barrel roll. However, the airplane only reached an altitude of about 1,000 feet agl during this maneuver. When the airplane was inverted, the roll stopped, and the airplane pitched down toward the ground. One witness noted that vapor trails were visible from the wing tips during the attempted pull out. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground in a nearly level attitude. The airplane was severely fragmented during the accident sequence and the debris field was extensive. No anomalies consistent with preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction were observed during postaccident examination, but the extent of the impact-related damage to the airframe precluded a complete examination of the flight control system. However, witness statements were consistent with the pilot initiating the final aerobatic maneuver from an altitude that did not allow full recovery of the airplane. Toxicological tests identified ethanol in the pilot’s tissue samples; however, it is likely that the ethanol detected was due to postmortem production.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the maneuver before losing control during the barrel roll.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 12 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents12

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