- Date
- June 9, 2012, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kokomo, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N34BJBirchler Boyd Eagle 540
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-aerobatics: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120609010459A
- Case key
- 83937
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the trees during a low-level aerobatic maneuver.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot planned to depart the runway and then turn left toward a row of trees for an aerobatic demonstration at a local air show. At a set distance from the trees, his plan was to roll the airplane inverted and then climb away from the trees. However, during the performance, he realized that the airplane wasn’t going to clear the trees. The pilot stated that he tried to increase the airplane’s climb angle, but the airplane struck the trees. The pilot continued the airplane’s climb and returned to the airfield for a landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its wings and horizontal stabilizer during the collision with the trees. The pilot reported that the primary cause of the accident was “misjudgment in distance” and “pilot error.” He also indicated that the wind was occasionally gusty, but he was unable to ascertain whether that was a factor.
Factual narrative
The pilot planned to depart the runway and then turn left towards a row of trees for an aerobatic demonstration at a local airshow. At a set distance from the trees, his plan was to roll the airplane inverted and then climb away from the trees. However, during the performance, he realized the airplane wasn’t going to clear the trees. The pilot stated that he applied more controls in order to increase the climb angle, but the airplane collided with the trees. The pilot continued the airplane’s climb and returned to the airfield for a landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its wings and horizontal stabilizer during the collision with the trees. The pilot reported that the primary cause of the accident was “misjudgment in the distance”. He also reported that there were occasionally gusty winds, but was unable to ascertain whether the winds were a factor or not.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34BJ
- Reported as
- Birchler Boyd Eagle 540
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- BJ-1
- Airframe hours
- 80
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air race/show · Part 91
- Operator
- Billy Werth Airshows, LLC
- Registered owner
- Billy Werth Airshows, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 3, 2011
- Departed
- KOKK · Kokomo, IN
- Destination
- KOKK · Kokomo, IN
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KOKK · Kokomo Municipal Airport, runway 23, 5,201 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Military, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 14, 2012
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 10,100 total · 41 in this make and model · 6,700 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KOKK
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 3, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N34BJ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.