Crash location | 30.460556°N, 87.876945°W |
Nearest city | Fairhope, AL
30.522972°N, 87.903326°W 4.6 miles away |
Tail number | N985GC |
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Accident date | 19 May 2007 |
Aircraft type | Hillery W. Grice Alley Cat 1 |
Additional details: | None |
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.
The failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain terrain clearance while completing a loop at an airshow, resulting in impact with the runway.