What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 13, 2015 at approximately 1724 local time, N92744 an experimental T-Bird II, took off from lower creek airport (NC27) and subsequently crashed into terrain while making a right crosswind turn. The pilotprivacy data omittedsurvived the accident, though he was seriously injured and was airlifted to cmc main in downtown charlotte, NC.
VMC (visual meteorological conditions) weather was reported at morgantown-Lenoir airport (mrn) located 10 miles southwest of the accident site. Winds were out of the southeast at 4 knots.
A gopro 4 video camera was recovered at the accident site. The camera recorded the entire flight sequence from the left wing aimed towards the cockpit. Examination of the video clearly revealed the pilot stalling the aircraft while making a right cross wind turn. The pilot could be seen adding right aileron and then slowly turning the yoke back to the left while adding full right rudder. This is also known as a cross-controlled stall. As the aircraft enters a right nose down spin the pilot can be seen trying to disengage the ?remove before flight? Pin with his right hand in order to fire the ballistic recovery system (brs) parachute. As the aircraft descends you can hear the engine RPM increasing. The pilot then releases the yoke with his left hand and uses both hands to fire the brs just as the aircraft enters the tree canopy. You hear a loud bang when the brs fires, however the aircraft was already too low for the parachute to fully deploy. This is also confirmed with the witness statement, ?I heard the engine rev and then a loud pop as the aircraft crashed into the trees?.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 13, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 1724 LOCAL TIME, N92744 AN EXPERIMENTAL T-BIRD II, TOOK OFF FROM LOWER CREEK AIRPORT (NC27) AND SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED INTO TERRAIN WHILE MAKING A RIGHT CROSSWIND TURN. THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^SURVIVED THE ACCIDENT, THOUGH HE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND WAS AIRLIFTED TO CMC MAIN IN DOWNTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC.
VMC (VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS) WEATHER WAS REPORTED AT MORGANTOWN-LENOIR AIRPORT (MRN) LOCATED 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. WINDS WERE OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST AT 4 KNOTS.
A GOPRO 4 VIDEO CAMERA WAS RECOVERED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE CAMERA RECORDED THE ENTIRE FLIGHT SEQUENCE FROM THE LEFT WING AIMED TOWARDS THE COCKPIT. EXAMINATION OF THE VIDEO CLEARLY REVEALED THE PILOT STALLING THE AIRCRAFT WHILE MAKING A RIGHT CROSS WIND TURN. THE PILOT COULD BE SEEN ADDING RIGHT AILERON AND THEN SLOWLY TURNING THE YOKE BACK TO THE LEFT WHILE ADDING FULL RIGHT RUDDER. THIS IS ALSO KNOWN AS A CROSS-CONTROLLED STALL. AS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERS A RIGHT NOSE DOWN SPIN THE PILOT CAN BE SEEN TRYING TO DISENGAGE THE ?REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT? PIN WITH HIS RIGHT HAND IN ORDER TO FIRE THE BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM (BRS) PARACHUTE. AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDS YOU CAN HEAR THE ENGINE RPM INCREASING. THE PILOT THEN RELEASES THE YOKE WITH HIS LEFT HAND AND USES BOTH HANDS TO FIRE THE BRS JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERS THE TREE CANOPY. YOU HEAR A LOUD BANG WHEN THE BRS FIRES, HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALREADY TOO LOW FOR THE PARACHUTE TO FULLY DEPLOY. THIS IS ALSO CONFIRMED WITH THE WITNESS STATEMENT, ?I HEARD THE ENGINE REV AND THEN A LOUD POP AS THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE TREES?.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.