What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 26, 2011, about 1332 eastern standard time, a British aircraft corporation bac 167 strikemaster, N167SM, crashed into the hudson river following an in-flight loss of airplane control at ulster, new york. The experimental airplane was registered to and operated by dragon aviation inc. under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The private pilot was killed. The flight originated at john murtha johnstown-cambria county airport, johnstown, Pennsylvania, about 1235.according to a representative for dragon aviation, the pilot was flying the airplane to columbia county airport, hudson, new york, with his permission. The purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane from smyrna, Tennessee to hudson. A fuel stop at johnstown was planned. The pilot filed an IFR flight plan via duats. Flightplan strip as follows: filed at 1712Z, 17,000 feet, airspeed 300 knots, routing: JST-SEG-20N-1B1. Ete 0+45. Fob 2+00.while at johnstown, the pilot telephoned friends and informed them that he would be flying over Kingston-ulster airport (20N) in ulster. After calling his position on the airport UNICOM frequency, he reportedly flew over the airfield and performed a rolling maneuver, described by witnesses as a roll or barrel roll. Following the rolling maneuver, he remained in the traffic pattern and executed a second pass, down the centerline of runway 15 at low altitude and with the landing gear retracted. Following the low pass, he reportedly pulled the airplane up to a nose-high altitude and initiated a left-hand turn. During the turn, the airplane nose reportedly dropped and the airplane entered a steep, descending turn until it impacted the river.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 26, 2011, ABOUT 1332 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BRITISH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION BAC 167 STRIKEMASTER, N167SM, CRASHED INTO THE HUDSON RIVER FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF AIRPLANE CONTROL AT ULSTER, NEW YORK. THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY DRAGON AVIATION INC. UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS KILLED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT JOHN MURTHA JOHNSTOWN-CAMBRIA COUNTY AIRPORT, JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ABOUT 1235.ACCORDING TO A REPRESENTATIVE FOR DRAGON AVIATION, THE PILOT WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE TO COLUMBIA COUNTY AIRPORT, HUDSON, NEW YORK, WITH HIS PERMISSION. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO REPOSITION THE AIRPLANE FROM SMYRNA, TENNESSEE TO HUDSON. A FUEL STOP AT JOHNSTOWN WAS PLANNED.THE PILOT FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN VIA DUATS. FLIGHTPLAN STRIP AS FOLLOWS: FILED AT 1712Z, 17,000 FEET, AIRSPEED 300 KNOTS, ROUTING: JST-SEG-20N-1B1. ETE 0+45. FOB 2+00.WHILE AT JOHNSTOWN, THE PILOT TELEPHONED FRIENDS AND INFORMED THEM THAT HE WOULD BE FLYING OVER KINGSTON-ULSTER AIRPORT (20N) IN ULSTER. AFTER CALLING HIS POSITION ON THE AIRPORT UNICOM FREQUENCY, HE REPORTEDLY FLEW OVER THE AIRFIELD AND PERFORMED A ROLLING MANEUVER, DESCRIBED BY WITNESSES AS A ROLL OR BARREL ROLL. FOLLOWING THE ROLLING MANEUVER, HE REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND EXECUTED A SECOND PASS, DOWN THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 15 AT LOW ALTITUDE AND WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. FOLLOWING THE LOW PASS, HE REPORTEDLY PULLED THE AIRPLANE UP TO A NOSE-HIGH ALTITUDE AND INITIATED A LEFT-HAND TURN. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE NOSE REPORTEDLY DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A STEEP, DESCENDING TURN UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE RIVER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.