# NTSB NYC99LA124: Toman Great Lakes 2T-1AJ, N275J, Painesville, OH, May 29, 1999 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 29, 1999, 13:34 local (17:34 UTC) - Place: Painesville, OH - Coordinates: 41.720653, -81.240211 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7207&lon=-81.2402&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal - Status: Completed, report August 3, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 46439 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC99LA124 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/46439/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA124 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper decision to conduct low-level aerobatic flight, and his lack of adequate altitude for the maneuver attempted. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, maneuvering - planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause) - aerobatics - low, pilot in command - altitude - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with object, descent - uncontrolled ## Analysis The airplane struck trees while performing low-level aerobatic flight. According to 14 CFR Part 91, 'no person may operate an aircraft in aerobatic flight...below an altitude of 1,500 feet above the surface....' ## Factual narrative On May 29, 1999, at 1334 Eastern Daylight Time, a homebuilt Great Lakes 2T-1AJ, N275J, was destroyed while performing low-level aerobatics near the owner's private airstrip in Painesville, Ohio. The owner, a certificated airline transport pilot, and the passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the flight, between Painesville and Geauga County Airport (7G8), Middlefield, Ohio. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the pilot and the passenger met for the first time, the day before the accident. After some conversation, the pilot offered to take the passenger and his family up on some airplane rides, to which the passenger agreed. On the day of the accident, the pilot first flew members of the passenger's family in another airplane, then departed with the passenger in the accident airplane. A videotape, reviewed by the Inspector, showed the passenger boarding the accident airplane. The airplane then started up, and taxied to the eastern end of the east-west grass airstrip. It departed to the west, and was next seen approaching the airstrip from the north. About mid-field, it turned left, and headed east, initially about 20 feet above the ground. At the eastern end of the grass strip, the airplane "abruptly climbed and entered into a left aileron roll." Approximately 3/4 of the way through the maneuver, while in a nose-down attitude, the airplane disappeared from the video. Almost simultaneously, there was the sound of an impact. Throughout the duration of the videotape, "there was no hesitation, interruption, cessation, or abnormalities [heard from]...the engine, until impact." Examination of the accident site revealed the presence of tree strikes, which commenced at the tops of some 60-foot trees, and descended toward the wreckage at an angle of approximately 30 degrees. The wreckage path extended about 300 feet in length, and was oriented along a southwesterly direction. All flight control surfaces were accounted for at the accident site. All four wing attachment points were found fractured, and all four ailerons were found intact and attached to the wings. Upper-to-lower aileron interconnect tubes were present, with the left tube still intact, and with the right tube separated. The empennage and tail control surfaces were twisted to the left. Wing and empennage flying wires were intact and connected, and aileron, rudder and elevator control continuity were confirmed. The wooden propeller and the engine were embedded in the ground at a 30-degree angle, to a maximum depth of about 2 feet. The propeller was broken and splintered. Engine control continuity was confirmed, with the throttle, and carburetor heat found at mid-range, and the mixture found in the full-forward position. Engine crankshaft rotation and piston movement were verified. Fuel was found in the fuel wobble pump, and was colorless, and free of debris. The pilot had had a fuel storage tank at his airstrip. The tank had contained some blue, 100-octane low-leaded fuel, when red, 80/87-octane fuel was added to it. The resultant mixture was colorless. According to the engine data plate, 80-octane fuel was the minimum required for the engine. The pilot had 19,784 hours of flight time, and was a professional civilian pilot. His latest first class medical certificate was issued on July 30, 1998. Toxicological testing on the pilot was conducted by the FAA Toxicology and Accident Research Laboratory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol. According to 14 CFR Part 91, Subpart D - Special Flight Operations, paragraph 91.303, Aerobatic Flight, "No person may operate an aircraft in aerobatic flight...below an altitude of 1,500 feet above the surface...." On July 7, 1999, the wreckage was released to a representative from Avemco Insurance Company, Frederick, Maryland. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N275J](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N275J-2000-04-03), registration cancelled 2000-04-03, S/N 001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Toman GREAT LAKES 2T-1AJ (GREAT LAKE) - Registry model: [Toman Charles John 2T-1AJ](https://openairdocs.org/model/toman-charles-john-2t-1aj) (registry code 05623HX) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 001 - Airframe hours: 98 - Engines: Jacobs R-755B2M 275 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Charles J. Toman - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 1999, 2 hours before - Departed: NONE - Destination: 7G8, MIDDLEFIELD, OH - Airport: NONE ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: rear; toxicology performed; flight hours: 19,784 total, 98 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 310° at 6 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: CGF, 15 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 19990529006019A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990529006019A), May 29, 1999: Grtlks 2T1A2, Painsville, OH, Destroyed, 2 fatal. Acft departed to west, reversed dirction, at end of rwy entered aerobatic maneuver, engine quit while in maneuver, unable to recover. 2 fatalities. (From .19)… 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.