- Date
- May 19, 2007, 11:53 local (16:53 UTC)
- Place
- Fairhope, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N985GCHillery W. Grice Alley Cat 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20070519019379A
- Case key
- 65874
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 pilot-in-command to maintain terrain clearance while completing a loop at an airshow, resulting in impact with the runway.
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
The pilot was completing his last maneuver (a loop) which would have culminated with a full-stop landing. He started the maneuver from the planned altitude of 150 feet and 140 miles-per-hour, and after reaching the top of the loop, recognized that the flight was slow. He continued the maneuver and was unable to accelerate and complete the maneuver. The airplane impacted the runway surface while in a "flat" attitude, but with a high rate of descent. He further stated that there was no mechanical failure or malfunction.
Factual narrative
The pilot was completing his last maneuver (a loop) which would have culminated with a full-stop landing. He started the maneuver from the planned altitude of 150 feet and 140 miles-per-hour, and after reaching the top of the loop, recognized that the flight was slow. He continued the maneuver and was unable to accelerate and complete the maneuver. The airplane impacted the runway surface while in a "flat" attitude, but with a high rate of descent. He further stated that there was no mechanical failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N985GC
- Reported as
- Hillery W. Grice Alley Cat 1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- AC007
- Airframe hours
- 85.6
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air race/show · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert H. Grice
- Registered owner
- Omega 1 corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 1, 2006
- Departed
- 4R4 · Fairhope, AL
- Destination
- 4R4 · Fairhope, AL
- Airport
- 4R4 · H L Sonny Callahan Airport, runway 19, 6,604 × 100 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
- 49
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2005
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 4,100 total · 80 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KBFM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.