19970411005819A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr Ultimate · Yuma, AZ · April 11, 1997

Date: April 11, 1997 · 19:35 local
Place: Yuma, AZ
Airport: Yuma Mcas - Yuma International
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N325GP
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX97LA155
Reported as: Amtr Ultimate
Reported engine: Lycoming O540E4A5
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 21,060 total1,300 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

N325GPRegistration cancelled Jul 15, 1999 · Price Gordon ULTIMATE 10-300SS/N 300-001 Airframe modelPrice Gordon ULTIMATE 10-300S

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Crashed during air show. (From .4) an air show routine was being performed at sunset, which involved a giant ring of flames at center stage of the show. Once established on the last pass through the ring of fire, the pilot planned to fly inverted and cut a ribbon with the propeller blades. She reported that while flying inverted during the third pass, the airplane impacted the ground. The pilot stated that she remembered the turn-around, rolling inverted, and establishing her sight picture for the run-in. However, the next few seconds were a total blank in her memory, with her visual picture resuming with the sparks created by the inverted slide. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical difficulties with the airplane. An FAA inspector reported that the 'ring of fire' routine required the pilot to fly directly into the setting sun, then turn around for the inverted pass. The inspector established on-scene that no mechanical or engine abnormalities had occurred.

As the FAA filed it

CRASHED DURING AIR SHOW. (FROM .4) AN AIR SHOW ROUTINE WAS BEING PERFORMED AT SUNSET, WHICH INVOLVED A GIANT RING OF FLAMES AT CENTER STAGE OF THE SHOW. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE LAST PASS THROUGH THE RING OF FIRE, THE PILOT PLANNED TO FLY INVERTED AND CUT A RIBBON WITH THE PROPELLER BLADES. SHE REPORTED THAT WHILE FLYING INVERTED DURING THE THIRD PASS, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE REMEMBERED THE TURN-AROUND, ROLLING INVERTED, AND ESTABLISHING HER SIGHT PICTURE FOR THE RUN-IN. HOWEVER, THE NEXT FEW SECONDS WERE A TOTAL BLANK IN HER MEMORY, WITH HER VISUAL PICTURE RESUMING WITH THE SPARKS CREATED BY THE INVERTED SLIDE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. AN FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE 'RING OF FIRE' ROUTINE REQUIRED THE PILOT TO FLY DIRECTLY INTO THE SETTING SUN, THEN TURN AROUND FOR THE INVERTED PASS. THE INSPECTOR ESTABLISHED ON-SCENE THAT NO MECHANICAL OR ENGINE ABNORMALITIES HAD OCCURRED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97LA155Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportYuma, AZthe pilot's failure to maintain adequate vertical clearance from the runway, while flying inverted. Factors relating to the accident were: the light conditions at dusk, and the pilot's lack of visual ques due to the light conditions.Apr 12, 1997 · Destroyed

Other reports on N325GP · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19900313012769IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Opalousas, LATail wheel bolt axle broke on a tight turn. Right wheel left taxiway and aircraft nosed up on its propeller.Mar 13, 1990 · Minor damage