What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The T-6 was the lead aircraft in a four ship flight at a fly-in. The formation separated for individual passes northbound along the runway followed by teardrop course reversals the flying along the runway in the opposite direction. The accident aircraft was the first to accomplish its fly-by northbound. The course reversal maneuver began with the aircraft turning slightly to the left then pitching up to about 20 degrees and banking sharply to the right. As the course reversal maneuver to the south was nearly complete, witnesses stated that the aircraft entered an accelerated stall at approximately 800 feet AGL, rolled inverted to the right and impacted the ground nearly vertical on a northerly heading. The aircraft was destroyed by ground impact and a post-crash fire. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident with clear skies, temperature 75F with a south wind of 5 knots.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE T-6 WAS THE LEAD AIRCRAFT IN A FOUR SHIP FLIGHT AT A FLY-IN. THE FORMATION SEPARATED FOR INDIVIDUAL PASSES NORTHBOUND ALONG THE RUNWAY FOLLOWED BY TEARDROP COURSE REVERSALS THE FLYING ALONG THE RUNWAY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS THE FIRST TO ACCOMPLISH ITS FLY-BY NORTHBOUND. THE COURSE REVERSAL MANEUVER BEGAN WITH THE AIRCRAFT TURNING SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT THEN PITCHING UP TO ABOUT 20 DEGREES AND BANKING SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT. AS THE COURSE REVERSAL MANEUVER TO THE SOUTH WAS NEARLY COMPLETE, WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED AN ACCELERATED STALL AT APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET AGL, ROLLED INVERTED TO THE RIGHT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND NEARLY VERTICAL ON A NORTHERLY HEADING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY GROUND IMPACT AND A POST-CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WITH CLEAR SKIES, TEMPERATURE 75F WITH A SOUTH WIND OF 5 KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.