CHI98FA288

A witness, who was flying in the traffic pattern, observed the jet cross the shoreline heading westbound at around 50 to 75 feet above the ground. The airplane then made an abrupt turn from west to north. The witness saw the jet descend into the trees and then he saw a fireball. Witnesses on the ground observed the airplane make a hard descending right turn, strike a power pole, and then impact the ground The pilot said that on the approach, the airplane 'developed a high sink rate of descent.' He felt that he did not get the throttles up fast enough to arrest the descent and that the right engine suffered a compressor stall. Examination of the left engine revealed foreign object damage while there was no foreign object damage to the right engine.

History of flight

On August 2, 1998, at 0904 central daylight time (cdt), a Hispano Aviacion A10B-37, N2741P, operated by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when the airplane struck a tree on approach to Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The airplane subsequently departed controlled flight and struck a power pole, and power lines, before impacting into the street of a residential area. A post-crash fire ensued. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. An IFR flight plan was on file. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The passenger was fatally injured. The cross-country flight originated at West Lafayette, Indiana, at 0730 eastern standard time (est), and was en route to Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The pilot said that he had been "run out to the east about 15 miles." He then made a 180 degree turn to return to the airport. The pilot said that there were a lot of aircraft that he had to pay attention to. On approach, the airplane "developed a high sink rate of descent." The pilot said that he did not get the throttles up fast enough to arrest the descent. The pilot said that after he crossed the shoreline, he struck a tree. He was surprised by the appearance of the tree. The pilot stated that he thought the right engine suffered a compressor stall. The airplane began a fall off to the right (to the north) after striking the tree. The pilot could not recall anything else regarding the flight after that point.

A witness, who was flying in the traffic pattern prior to the accident, said that he was directed by the Oshkosh Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) to hold at "Fisk" so that a Gulfstream airplane could land. The witness said that a "gaggle" stacked up. When arrivals resumed, there were a rush of aircraft trying to land. Numerous traffic conflicts ensued. As the witness was on base leg for runway 27, he observed a small jet "like a T-33, or something," flying low over the water to the east. The witness said that the jet appeared to be less than 200 feet above the water. The witness said that he did not hear any direct contact between the Oshkosh ATCT and the jet, but he did remember some comments made by the tower relative to the jet. The witness said that he observed the jet cross the shoreline heading westbound at around 50 to 75 feet above the ground. The airplane then made an abrupt turn from west to north. The witness saw the jet descend into the trees. He then saw a fireball.

A witness, whose residence is located just off of the Lake Winnebago shoreline, said that she first heard what she thought was a jet. She ran to her door just in time to see the airplane fly over. "The airplane was very low over the water and it appeared that it was going to hit my house. Suddenly, the plane pulled the nose up and passed over the house." The witness said she ran to the other side of her house and looked out the window. She saw leaves falling to the ground. She went outside and looked down the street. That's when she saw black smoke billowing up.

Several witnesses in the vicinity of Doty Street, observed the airplane make a hard descending right turn, strike a power pole with its left wing, and then strike the ground. One witness said that after the airplane struck the ground, it bounced and cartwheeled across the street, where it stopped. Another witness said that the airplane cartwheeled and slid across the street. All of the witnesses said that a fire ensued almost immediately after the airplane struck the ground.

Personnel information

The pilot held a Commercial Pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot said that he had approximately 1,700 hours total flight time, of which approximately 60 hours were in the accident airplane. The pilot further stated that he had flown 30 hours in the previous 90 days.

The pilot said that he received his training in the airplane approximately one year ago. The pilot also stated that he completed an instrument check in the airplane in March 1998.

The instructor pilot, who gave the pilot instruction in the accident airplane, said that he "put the pilot through 50 to 60 hours of ground school," and that the pilot received "10 hours of one-on-one [flight] instruction in the airplane." The instructor assisted the pilot with the purchase and ferrying of the airplane, and his Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. Approximately 60 days after the FAA issued the pilot his initial certification in the airplane, the pilot received additional training for his instrument certification.

Aircraft information

The airplane was operated by the pilot and used for pleasure. A registration certificate listing the pilot, and Allen Engineering and Service, as the owners, was issued on March 16, 1998.

The airplane was a twin turbojet-powered, two-place, tandem-seat, jet airplane, produced for the Spanish Air Force, for use as a primary jet pilot trainer. The airplane was issued a special airworthiness certificate, experimental category for exhibition purposes, on June 12, 1985. It was registered under the number N2741P.

The airplane had an annual condition inspection performed on February 24, 1998.

A letter of authorization sent to the pilot from the FAA Flight Standards District Office, Indianapolis, Indiana, dated March 18, 1998, prohibiting the performance of formation flight, supersonic flight, or aerobatic maneuvers in the airplane, refers to the airplane as a Casa Saeta HA-200B.

Wreckage and impact information

The NTSB on site investigation began on August 2, 1998, at 1000 cdt.

The accident site was confined to two locations. Both locations were approximately 1 mile west of Wittman Regional Airport.

The first area was located approximately 100 yards west of the east bank of Lake Winnebago. The top branches of an oak tree, approximately 120 feet in height, were sheared off. The tree was located in the front yard of a lake shore residence, at 2324 South Main Street. Numerous branches, ranging in diameter from 1 to 4 inches, and in lengths from 3 to 28 inches, fanned outward from the base of the tree in a northwesterly direction for approximately 252 feet, falling on an adjacent railroad track and on Main Street. Pieces of reflective material were found resting on Main Street, approximately 120 feet from the base of the oak tree on a 315 degree magnetic heading.

The second area, considered the accident site and containing the aircraft wreckage, was located in the 2100 block of Doty Street, a residential area located one mile east and slightly north of the approach end to runway 27 at Wittman Regional Airport.

The accident site began at a 33 foot high power pole, approximately 65 feet north of the road intersection where 22nd Street crosses Doty Street. The power pole was on the east side of Doty Street. The top 5 feet of the power pole was sheared off in a northerly direction. Power lines were found laid out along the street.

Approximately 99 feet north of the power pole, just inside of the left street curb, was a 7 foot, 5 inch long, north-running ground scar. The scar was 4 feet, 6 inches at it's widest point, and 6 inches deep. A piece of the airplane's nose stringer, a hydraulic transmitter, and several 1-inch diameter pieces of oak branches were found in the south end of the ground scar. A charred area, 79 feet long, fanned outward in a 30 degree arc from the north end of the ground scar, on a 347 degree magnetic heading. Jet fuel stains were observed fanning out diagonally on a 015 degree magnetic heading, from the ground scar, onto and across Doty Street, for approximately 114 feet. The smell of jet fuel was prevalent at the accident site.

The outboard 3 feet of the right wing, to include the aft half of the righ