20050625013189A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr ONE DESIGN · Madras, OR · June 25, 2005

Date: June 25, 2005 · 13:40 local
Place: Madras, OR
Airport: Madras City-County Airport
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N555TE
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA05LA128
Reported as: Amtr Onedesign
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,000 total

N555TERegistration cancelled Nov 27, 2007 · Ellsberg Tom ONE DESIGNS/N 94-0239 · Built 1996 Airframe modelEllsberg Tom ONE DESIGN Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

(-23) The aircraft impacted the ground during performance of aerobatic maneuvers at the city-county airport near Madras, Oregon. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by impact and fire damage. According to a witness, the pilot made a high speed low level pass over the runway at about 60 feet AGL and then pulled straight up into a vertical ascent roll. The airplane climbed to about 3,000 feet AGL, then stalled and entered a flat spin. The witness had watched this pilot perform aerobatics before and stated that normally the pilot would recover from the spin between 1,500 and 2,000 feet AGL; however, this time he estimated the recovery was made at a little less than 1,000 feet AGL. After pulling out of the spin, the pilot established a nose down attitude to regain airspeed. The airplane continued to descend in this nose down attitude, impacted terrain, exploded and was consumed by fire.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND DURING PERFORMANCE OF AEROBATIC MANEUVERS AT THE CITY-COUNTY AIRPORT NEAR MADRAS, OREGON. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND FIRE DAMAGE. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE PILOT MADE A HIGH SPEED LOW LEVEL PASS OVER THE RUNWAY AT ABOUT 60 FEET AGL AND THEN PULLED STRAIGHT UP INTO A VERTICAL ASCENT ROLL. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 3,000 FEET AGL, THEN STALLED AND ENTERED A FLAT SPIN. THE WITNESS HAD WATCHED THIS PILOT PERFORM AEROBATICS BEFORE AND STATED THAT NORMALLY THE PILOT WOULD RECOVER FROM THE SPIN BETWEEN 1,500 AND 2,000 FEET AGL; HOWEVER, THIS TIME HE ESTIMATED THE RECOVERY WAS MADE AT A LITTLE LESS THAN 1,000 FEET AGL. AFTER PULLING OUT OF THE SPIN, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE TO REGAIN AIRSPEED. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND IN THIS NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, IMPACTED TERRAIN, EXPLODED AND WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE.

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 SEA05LA128Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportMadras, ORThe pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from terrain while performing aerobatics which resulted in a collision with the ground.Jun 25, 2005 · Destroyed

Other reports on N555TE · 1

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

Accident 20011005029669ABend, OR(-23) Aircraft in cruise flight approaching acrobatic box area over Bend, OR experienced extreme vibration. Pilot shut down engine and vibration continued. Pilot executed a forced landing without incident on powell butte highway, hwy 371, near the deschutes…Oct 5, 2001 · No damage