CEN15LA428

The airline transport pilot reported that he had been practicing aerobatic maneuvers for an upcoming airshow. He could not recall the events leading up to the accident. Based on the impact scars in the field, it was determined that the airplane struck the ground in a slightly nose-high, wings-level attitude. No mechanical defects with the airplane or engine were noted. It is likely that the pilot conducted an aerobatic maneuver and attempted to recover from it at too low of an altitude for a safe recovery.

On September 26, 2015, about 2100 central daylight time, a Sukhoi SU-26, N596TJ, impacted terrain during aerobatic practice near Slidell, Texas. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was seriously injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by JT Airshows, Slidell, Texas, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from Akroville Airport (XA68), Slidell, Texas, about 1830.According to the Federal Aviation Administration Inspector's Statement, the pilot said he had been practicing aerobatic maneuvers for an upcoming airshow. He could not recall the events leading up to the accident. His first recollection of the accident was shortly after impact when he realized that the cockpit was on fire. He extricated himself from the wreckage and was transported to a hospital The FAA inspector stated that based on the impact scars in the field, he determined that the airplane struck the ground in a slightly nose-high, wings-level attitude. No mechanical defects with the airplane or engine were noted. The fuselage and interior wing sections were destroyed by the post-impact fire. The cockpit, flight controls, and associated cables had been completely destroyed by fire along, with the majority of the cockpit instruments.