- Date
- September 5, 2000, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sherman, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1LMAbernathy Streaker
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 50209
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 failure of the wing skin and the rear spar while performing aerobatics, which resulted in the restricted movement of the aileron.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the first of three aerobatic contest flights, at 4,300 feet agl, the pilot began a 45 degree nose down dive into the 'aerobatic box'. After the 'second wing wag (used to signify the start of aerobatic performance),' the airplane experience a 'high rate' roll to the right. The pilot reported that the right aileron 'jammed.' The right wing's top skin failed and separated from the rear spar. The right wing rear spar buckled, and the leading edge of the aileron was 'jammed' under the trailing edge of the wing in the full up position. The pilot regained control of the airplane, and subsequently landed the airplane on the runway without further incident.
Factual narrative
On September 5, 2000, approximately 1130 central daylight time, an Abernathy Streaker aerobatic experimental biplane, N1LM, was substantially damaged while maneuvering near Sherman, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 91 personal flight. The local flight originated from the Grayson County Airport, Sherman, Texas, at 1123.
According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), and a telephone interview conducted by the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the pilot departed Grayson County Airport for the first of three aerobatic contest flights. At 4,300 feet agl, the pilot began a 45 degree nose down dive into the "aerobatic box". After the "second wing wag (used to signify the start of aerobatic performance)," the airplane experience a "high rate" roll to the right. The pilot reported that the right aileron "jammed," however, he eventually regained control of the airplane, and landed it on runway 17L without further incident.
Examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed that the skin on the top of the right wing failed and separated from the rear spar. The rear spar was buckled and the aileron's leading edge was "jammed," in the full up position, under the wing's trailing edge.
The airplane had accumulated 1,123 hours of total flight time at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1LM
- Reported as
- Abernathy Streaker
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 1,123
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-AIE, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Alex Mirkovic
- Registered owner
- Brantley Coile
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 4, 2000 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- F39
- Airport
- F39 · Sherman/Denison, runway 17L, 9,000 × 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
- 26
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,400 total · 75 in this make and model · 2,850 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 100 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg