20140919017429A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · North American T-28C · Alton, VA · September 19, 2014

Date: September 19, 2014 · 17:11 local
Place: Alton, VA
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N531KG
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA14FA445
Reported as: North American T-28C
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,410 total

N531KGRegistration cancelled Mar 30, 2018 · North American T-28CS/N 140531 · Built 1954 Airframe modelNorth American T-28C Engine modelWright R-1820-86Reciprocating

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.

Aircraft was seen performing a low pass over Virginia international raceway. The aircraft reversed direction, and initiated a barrel roll during a second low pass at a very low altitude. Shortly after the barrel roll, the aircraft subsequently collided into a hillside of the center field area of the racetrack. A debris path was observed, initiating with the propeller, and extending approximately 300 feet on a magnetic heading about 320 degrees. The cockpit, empennage, left wing, and engine were located at the end of the debris path.

Both wings, flaps and one elevator separated due to the crash. Control cable turnbuckles were intact. Cable ends were found broken with the ends "broomstraw" propeller was found buried approximately 30 ft from the initial ground scar separated from the engine.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN PERFORMING A LOW PASS OVER VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY. THE AIRCRAFT REVERSED DIRECTION, AND INITIATED A BARREL ROLL DURING A SECOND LOW PASS AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE. SHORTLY AFTER THE BARREL ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED INTO A HILLSIDE OF THE CENTER FIELD AREA OF THE RACETRACK. A DEBRIS PATH WAS OBSERVED, INITIATING WITH THE PROPELLER, AND EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET ON A MAGNETIC HEADING ABOUT 320 DEGREES. THE COCKPIT, EMPENNAGE, LEFT WING, AND ENGINE WERE LOCATED AT THE END OF THE DEBRIS PATH.

BOTH WINGS, FLAPS AND ONE ELEVATOR SEPARATED DUE TO THE CRASH. CONTROL CABLE TURNBUCKLES WERE INTACT. CABLE ENDS WERE FOUND BROKEN WITH THE ENDS "BROOMSTRAW" PROPELLER WAS FOUND BURIED APPROXIMATELY 30 FT FROM THE INITIAL GROUND SCAR SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE.

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 ERA14FA445Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportAlton, VAThe pilot’s failure to maintain altitude while performing low-level aerobatic maneuvers, which resulted in collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper decision to attempt aerobatics at such a low altitude.Sep 19, 2014 · Destroyed