What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 17, 1999, about 1045 central daylight time, a Piper J3C, N38272, registered to a private individual, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 airshow flight, lost an airshow performer by falling to earth from an externally afixed rope ladder, at Hawkins airport, Jackson, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received no damage, the commercially-rated pilot was not injured, but the performer sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from the same airport about 25 minutes before the accident. According to the federal aviation administration inspector, an eyewitness to the accident, the performer was stationed on a truck platform, and had made the truck-to-ladder transfer. The airplane was in the climb between 60 to 120 feet AGL, and it appeared that the performer lost his grip on the rope ladder. The routine had been given FAA airshow approval. (-23) aircraft was being flown in airshow act. The act involved an individual transferring from a ground vehicle to airplane. After transfer was made and the airplane was climbing out, the individual fell approx. 150 feet impacting the ground. (.4) the airshow pilot stated that he positioned the airplane's externally mounted 12 foot aerial rope ladder onto the truck's rear platform, as practiced, and when given the radio call from the truck driver that the performer 'was on', the pilot started a climb away from the truck. At about 100 feet AGL, the pilot felt a lurch, and the performer lost his grip on the ladder and fell to his death. Post crash examination of the FAA approved ladder and attach points revealed no failures or malfunctions. A video tape of the routine revealed that the ladder performer's jacket inflated just before the fall. The acrobatic routine pilot immediately preceding the accident stated flying conditions were turbulent at altitude, but conditions at the runway surface allowed a smooth touchdown. Toxicological testing of specimens from the performer revealed the presence of diazepam, (trade name, valium) and its metabolite, however, the blood specimen levels of each were below the limit of quantitation.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 17, 1999, ABOUT 1045 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER J3C, N38272, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 AIRSHOW FLIGHT, LOST AN AIRSHOW PERFORMER BY FALLING TO EARTH FROM AN EXTERNALLY AFIXED ROPE LADDER, AT HAWKINS AIRPORT, JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED NO DAMAGE, THE COMMERCIALLY-RATED PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, BUT THE PERFORMER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SAME AIRPORT ABOUT 25 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR, AN EYEWITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PERFORMER WAS STATIONED ON A TRUCK PLATFORM, AND HAD MADE THE TRUCK-TO-LADDER TRANSFER. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN THE CLIMB BETWEEN 60 TO 120 FEET AGL, AND IT APPEARED THAT THE PERFORMER LOST HIS GRIP ON THE ROPE LADDER. THE ROUTINE HAD BEEN GIVEN FAA AIRSHOW APPROVAL. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN IN AIRSHOW ACT. THE ACT INVOLVED AN INDIVIDUAL TRANSFERRING FROM A GROUND VEHICLE TO AIRPLANE. AFTER TRANSFER WAS MADE AND THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING OUT, THE INDIVIDUAL FELL APPROX. 150 FEET IMPACTING THE GROUND. (.4) THE AIRSHOW PILOT STATED THAT HE POSITIONED THE AIRPLANE'S EXTERNALLY MOUNTED 12 FOOT AERIAL ROPE LADDER ONTO THE TRUCK'S REAR PLATFORM, AS PRACTICED, AND WHEN GIVEN THE RADIO CALL FROM THE TRUCK DRIVER THAT THE PERFORMER 'WAS ON', THE PILOT STARTED A CLIMB AWAY FROM THE TRUCK. AT ABOUT 100 FEET AGL, THE PILOT FELT A LURCH, AND THE PERFORMER LOST HIS GRIP ON THE LADDER AND FELL TO HIS DEATH. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE FAA APPROVED LADDER AND ATTACH POINTS REVEALED NO FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS. A VIDEO TAPE OF THE ROUTINE REVEALED THAT THE LADDER PERFORMER'S JACKET INFLATED JUST BEFORE THE FALL. THE ACROBATIC ROUTINE PILOT IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT STATED FLYING CONDITIONS WERE TURBULENT AT ALTITUDE, BUT CONDITIONS AT THE RUNWAY SURFACE ALLOWED A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTING OF SPECIMENS FROM THE PERFORMER REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF DIAZEPAM, (TRADE NAME, VALIUM) AND ITS METABOLITE, HOWEVER, THE BLOOD SPECIMEN LEVELS OF EACH WERE BELOW THE LIMIT OF QUANTITATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N38272 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.