# NTSB LAX04FA223: Boeing B75N1, N48579, Mesa, AZ, May 31, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: May 31, 2004, 09:05 local (16:05 UTC) - Place: Mesa, AZ - Coordinates: 33.567222, -111.651947 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5672&lon=-111.6519&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal - Status: Completed, report October 27, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Teledyne Continental, Federal Aviation Adminstration - NTSB case key (mKey): 59336 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX04FA223 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59336/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04FA223 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while performing aerobatics that resulted in an inadvertent stall and spin. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - aerobatics - performed, pilot in command - lack of familiarity with aircraft, pilot in command - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - physiological condition, pilot in command - stall/spin - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis !! THIS CASE WAS MODIFIED JANUARY 18, 2006!! While performing aerobatics, the airplane stalled, entered a spin, and collided with the ground in an uncontrolled descent. The pilot and passenger departed from a nearby airport for a local area scenic flight. A witness reported seeing the airplane doing a series of loops and turns. An additional witness reported seeing the airplane pitch up, turn to the left, and then enter a counterclockwise spin prior to impact with the ground. According to the pilot's family, he did not do aerobatics in the airplane. The pilot purchased the airplane about 2 months prior to the accident and had accumulated approximately 41 hours in the accident airplane. A Safety Board meteorologist reported that an evaluation of surrounding weather at the time of the accident indicated clear skies. Post accident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any control or powerplant malfunctions. The pilot had severe coronary artery disease noted on autopsy and a history of Type II diabetes which had not been revealed to the FAA. It was not possible to determine whether symptoms from these conditions contributed either to the pilot's decision to engage in aerobatics or his ultimate failure to maintain airspeed ## Factual narrative !! THIS CASE WAS MODIFIED JANUARY 18, 2006!! HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 31, 2004, about 0905 mountain standard time, a Boeing B75N1 (Stearman), N48579, impacted the ground while maneuvering about 8 miles north of Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The pilot, also the registered owner, was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Falcon Field at 0854 for the local area personal flight. According to the pilot's family, the flight was intended to be short in duration and for pleasure. When the pilot and passenger did not return, the family notified authorities. The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) interviewed a witness located approximately 1/2-mile from the accident site. The witness stated that the airplane, a biplane, flew overhead and completed a loop. The airplane made an additional pass and then did a barrel roll. It was during this maneuver that the airplane disappeared behind a hill. A few moments later she witnessed a puff of smoke emanating from behind the hill. An additional witness reported driving down the highway and watching the airplane. It appeared the airplane was in slow flight when it passed over a ridge. The nose pitched up and the airplane stalled. The airplane drifted to the left, the nose dropped, and it entered a "tight" counterclockwise spin until impacting the ground. Another witness that was driving stated said the "blue plane [was] flying above the mountains, looking like it was just being recreational, turns, loops, etcetera." It spiraled down and then nose-dove into the ground. PERSONNEL INFORMATION A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records revealed that the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single and multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings. He also held flight engineer (turbojet powered) and airframe and powerplant mechanic certificates. The pilot held a second-class medical certificate issued in January 28, 2004. It had no limitations or waivers. On the pilot's last medical certificate application, he indicated a total pilot time of 800 hours. Forty of his flight hours were accrued within the past 6 months. Copies of the pilot's logbook were forwarded to the IIC. The logbook indicated that the pilot had a total flight time of 828 hours. Thirty-four of those hours were flown in the past 90 days; 8 of those hours were in the past 30 days. Based on the logbook, the pilot accumulated a total of 41 hours in the accident airplane. The IIC reviewed the pilot's logbook for evidence of aerobatic training. The logbook did not indicate that the pilot had participated in any training in aerobatics, nor did it indicate that the pilot had performed aerobatic maneuvers during personal flights. A logbook entry (dated March 28, 2004) indicated in the remarks section that "stalls, spins, rolls, t and g [touch and goes]" were performed under the instruction of a certified flight instructor. The pilot was employed as a flight engineer for a local cargo company. He was to upgraded to a first officer position in August 2004. According to the pilot's family, he did not perform aerobatic maneuvers in airplanes. The pilot's passenger was neither a rated pilot, nor did he have any experience in general aviation airplanes. A personal friend/coworker of the pilot was interviewed by the Safety Board IIC. He met the pilot about 7 years ago through their employment, and a friendship was formed immediately due to both of them being mechanics and having a like for antique airplanes. After the pilot purchased the airplane in Washington state, he mentioned to his friend that he would be flying it to Mesa, Arizona. His friend did not feel that the pilot should fly that extensive of a trip in an airplane with which he was unfamiliar, so he offered to accompany the pilot on the trip. About 1 month prior to the trip, the friend met the pilot in Washington, and offered him dual instruction in the airplane. The pilot had difficulty taking off and landing the airplane. He also showed difficulty in recognizing the onset of a stall. During these flights, the friend demonstrated one spin to the pilot. The flight from Washington to Mesa took approximately 17 hours. The airplane operated normally and the friend did not recall any mechanical problems with either the airframe controls or the engine. After they arrived in Mesa, the pilot's friend told him that he should receive additional training in the airplane, prior to flying solo. The pilot was in good spirits during the flight and did not report any medical problems. The pilot's friend felt the witness reports of the pilot doing aerobatics just prior to the accident were inaccurate. The pilot was not the type of pilot that would do something by himself without having done it first. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The fabric covered biplane was manufactured in 1942, serial number 75-6929. Based on FAA records, the airplane ownership was transferred to the pilot on March 23, 2004, by the previous owner. The airplane was powered by a seven-cylinder radial Continental engine, model W-670-16. The two-bladed propeller was a Hamilton Standard, serial number 7,442. The last annual inspection was completed on September 24, 2003. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The closest official weather observation station was Falcon Field, Mesa, which was located 8 miles southwest of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 1,394 feet mean sea level (msl). A routine aviation weather report (METAR) for Falcon Field was issued at 0848. It reported the following conditions: winds variable at 5 knots; visibility 50 miles; temperature 30 degrees Celsius; dew point 1 degree Celsius; altimeter setting 29.93 inHg. A Safety Board meteorologist reviewed satellite weather data during the accident time. The skies were clear for the duration of the accident date. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office responded to the accident scene. The wreckage site was located in hilly desert terrain at the following approximate global positioning satellite coordinates: 33 degrees 34 minutes 4 seconds north latitude by 111 degrees 39 minutes 11 seconds west longitude. The elevation was about 1,580 feet msl. The airplane came to rest in a south-southwesterly direction on terrain that sloped downward approximately 20 degrees. There was no evidence of a ground scar in any location other then below and within a few yards of the wreckage. Soil and vegetation circumferentially located around the wreckage appeared undisturbed. The airplane was consumed in a post impact fire. Aerial views of the wreckage showed a skeletal outline of the wing structures, fuselage structure, and empennage section. The outline of the wings on the left side appeared to be forward of the outline of the right wings. The empennage was marginally offset to the right. The wooden spar and rib structure was evident through portions of wood and ash. The engine appeared inline with the framework of the fuselage. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office completed autopsies on the pilot and passenger. The causes of death were determined to have resulted from injuries sustained in the airplane accident. The autopsy for the pilot indicated that no soot was identified in the trachea or bronchi, and that there was an 80 to 90 percent occlusion of the lumen of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. No soot was identified in the trachea or bronchi of the passenger. The FAA Toxicology and Research Laboratory performed toxicological testing of specimens of the pilot and passenger. The res ## Aircraft - Registration: [N48579](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N48579-2012-12-07), registration cancelled 2012-12-07, S/N 75-6929, built 1942 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing B75N1 - Registry model: [Boeing B75N1](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-b75n1) (registry code 1380144) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental W670 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-w670-series) (registry code 17018, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 75-6929 - Airframe hours: 2051.34 - Engines: Continental W-670 220 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: John Matlock - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Aerobatic - Last inspection: Annual, September 24, 2003 - Departed: FFZ, Falcon Field, AZ ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; injuries: fatal; flight engineer, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: rear; toxicology performed; flight hours: 800 total, 41 in this make and model, 34 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 5 knots - Visibility: 50 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: FFZ, 8 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040531011159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040531011159A), May 31, 2004: Boeing B75N1, Ft Mcdowell, AZ, Destroyed, 2 fatal. (-23) From witness statements obtained by ft. Mcdowell tribal police it appears as the pilot was doing aerobatic maneuvers and after a barrell roll the… ## Other investigations on N48579 (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW78DRJ03](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW78DRJ03), Oct 22, 1977: Boeing 75N1 (N48579), Shreveport, LA, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.