What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 10, 2005, at 1052 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt rutan long ez, N78LC, and a homebuilt van's RV-8, N899RM, were substantially damaged during a midair collision and subsequent impact in the Delaware bay near Lewes, Delaware. The certificated commercial pilot flying the long ez and the certificated private pilot flying the RV-8 were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for either flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The accident airplanes were part of a group of six airplanes ("the vultures") practicing a formation flight routine for an upcoming airshow. According to the pilots in the formation, they had just completed a "six ship opposing" maneuver in which the airplanes flew towards each other in two groups of three airplanes. The groups were assembled with a lead airplane in front and two additional airplanes alignes behind and to each side of the lead (in a "triangle" formation). After the airplanes passed each other (with approximately 50 feet of vertical separation), the next maneuver required the lead airplane of the group passing left to right as viewed from the crowd line (the accident RV-8), to climb and join the other group of three airplanes. The other two airplanes of the group passing left to right (the accident long ez and an additional RV-8) were to break off and fly a separate formation. All of the remaining formation pilots reported that the "six ship opposing" maneuver was performed without any abnormality. According to one of the formation pilots, within seconds after the pass he heard an unusual radio transmission that he described as an "ahrrgh" followed briefly by a report of a "mid-air" from the pilot flying above the formation, in the "spotting" position. The remaining pilots then observed the RV-8 and long ez impact the water. Several witnesses were videotaping the formation flight prior to the accident. Preliminary review of the videos revealed that as the two groups of three airplanes were heading towards each other, the long ez (in trail and to the right of the RV-8) appeared to rise above and ahead of the RV-8. Immediately after the groups passed each other, the RV-8 initiated a climb, and the long ez and RV-8 collided.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 10, 2005, AT 1052 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT RUTAN LONG EZ, N78LC, AND A HOMEBUILT VAN'S RV-8, N899RM, WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A MIDAIR COLLISION AND SUBSEQUENT IMPACT IN THE DELAWARE BAY NEAR LEWES, DELAWARE. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT FLYING THE LONG EZ AND THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT FLYING THE RV-8 WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR EITHER FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANES WERE PART OF A GROUP OF SIX AIRPLANES ("THE VULTURES") PRACTICING A FORMATION FLIGHT ROUTINE FOR AN UPCOMING AIRSHOW. ACCORDING TO THE PILOTS IN THE FORMATION, THEY HAD JUST COMPLETED A "SIX SHIP OPPOSING" MANEUVER IN WHICH THE AIRPLANES FLEW TOWARDS EACH OTHER IN TWO GROUPS OF THREE AIRPLANES. THE GROUPS WERE ASSEMBLED WITH A LEAD AIRPLANE IN FRONT AND TWO ADDITIONAL AIRPLANES ALIGNES BEHIND AND TO EACH SIDE OF THE LEAD (IN A "TRIANGLE" FORMATION). AFTER THE AIRPLANES PASSED EACH OTHER (WITH APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET OF VERTICAL SEPARATION), THE NEXT MANEUVER REQUIRED THE LEAD AIRPLANE OF THE GROUP PASSING LEFT TO RIGHT AS VIEWED FROM THE CROWD LINE (THE ACCIDENT RV-8), TO CLIMB AND JOIN THE OTHER GROUP OF THREE AIRPLANES. THE OTHER TWO AIRPLANES OF THE GROUP PASSING LEFT TO RIGHT (THE ACCIDENT LONG EZ AND AN ADDITIONAL RV-8) WERE TO BREAK OFF AND FLY A SEPARATE FORMATION. ALL OF THE REMAINING FORMATION PILOTS REPORTED THAT THE "SIX SHIP OPPOSING" MANEUVER WAS PERFORMED WITHOUT ANY ABNORMALITY. ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE FORMATION PILOTS, WITHIN SECONDS AFTER THE PASS HE HEARD AN UNUSUAL RADIO TRANSMISSION THAT HE DESCRIBED AS AN "AHRRGH" FOLLOWED BRIEFLY BY A REPORT OF A "MID-AIR" FROM THE PILOT FLYING ABOVE THE FORMATION, IN THE "SPOTTING" POSITION. THE REMAINING PILOTS THEN OBSERVED THE RV-8 AND LONG EZ IMPACT THE WATER. SEVERAL WITNESSES WERE VIDEOTAPING THE FORMATION FLIGHT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE VIDEOS REVEALED THAT AS THE TWO GROUPS OF THREE AIRPLANES WERE HEADING TOWARDS EACH OTHER, THE LONG EZ (IN TRAIL AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE RV-8) APPEARED TO RISE ABOVE AND AHEAD OF THE RV-8. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE GROUPS PASSED EACH OTHER, THE RV-8 INITIATED A CLIMB, AND THE LONG EZ AND RV-8 COLLIDED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.