NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On March 6, 2010, at 1236 central standard time, a North American SNJ-6, N47LF, was destroyed when it impacted the Gulf of Mexico about 1 mile south of Topsail Hill Reserve State Park, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. The certificated commercial pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane, part of a five-airplane formation, was not operating on a flight plan. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the formation lead pilot, all of the pilots of the five-airplane formation met about 1130 for a formation briefing. The flight took off about 1200, and flew westbound, over water along the east-west beach for about 4 miles, with cross unders and echelons practiced. A breakup and rejoin was accomplished, and the formation proceeded eastbound. After later turning to the south, away from the beach, another breakup was accomplished with subsequent maneuvering resulting in an in-trail formation headed eastbound. The accident airplane was number 5 in trail.

In interviews, the pilots indicated that some were performing aileron rolls while in trail. None were performing additional acrobatics such as loops or barrel rolls from that low of an altitude, which the formation lead pilot indicated was about 500 feet above the water. A trail pilot reported that the separation between the airplanes was about 2,000 yards.

A video card containing a video clip of the accident was provided via local authorities. The video, which was taken from the beach, showed the last four of the five airplanes in trail over the water, initially heading eastbound. Each airplane was videoed separately.

The video began with the number 2 airplane in the middle of the screen, about 225 degrees through a left aileron roll. The airplane then exited the left side of the screen about 270 degrees through the roll (left wing straight up and right wing straight down.)

The number 3 airplane then came into view from the right side of the screen, at what appeared to be a lower altitude, and with the left wing 20 to 30 degrees down. The airplane remained in that approximate attitude and altitude until it exited the left side of the screen.

The number 4 airplane then came into view from the right side of the screen in an approximately 30-degrees nose-up attitude. About mid-screen it began a roll to the left. The airplane exited the left side of the screen, still about 30 degrees nose up, having rolled about 90 degrees. The camera then panned to the left to capture an additional part of the roll, until the airplane exited the left side of the screen again, but about 180 degrees through the roll (upside down at that point) with the nose still several degrees above the horizon.

The number 5 airplane, the accident airplane, then came into view from the right side of the screen, about 30-degrees nose up, and 30-degrees left wing down. It subsequently rolled to the left, and appeared to reach 90 degrees (left wing down, right wing up) before the camera panned left and momentarily lost it from the right side of the screen.

The airplane then flew back into view, about 135 degrees through the left roll, and continued to a 180-degree (completely upside down) position. At that point, the airplane’s nose was slightly low in relation to the horizon, dropping to about 10-degrees nose low. The camera then again panned to the left, and the airplane again disappeared from the right side of the screen.

The airplane subsequently reappeared on the screen about 225 degrees through the left roll, at an estimated 15-degrees nose low, and began a turn to the right while continuing the left roll recovery. As the airplane reached a southerly heading, away from the beach, it passed through about 315 degrees of the left roll (right wing 45-degrees down), and the roll suddenly reversed. The wings briefly went vertical (left wing up, right wing down), the nose dropped, and as the airplane continued rolling to the right, it appeared to go slightly inverted. It then descended into the water about 90-degrees nose low, with the top of the airplane facing the beach. The right wingtip was the first part of the airplane to strike the water, and as it did, the angle of the wings in relation to the horizon was about 45 degrees.

No objects were observed departing the airplane during the maneuver, and no distress calls were noted by any of the other pilots.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 60, held a commercial pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane single engine land, multi-engine land, single engine sea, multi-engine sea, and instrument airplane. The pilot's logbook was not recovered. On his latest FAA second class medical application, dated July 17, 2009, the pilot indicated 5,400 hours of total flight time.

One of the other formation pilots stated that he observed nothing abnormal with the pilot on the day of the accident, that the pilot was very "upbeat" about flying that day, and that the pilot had last flown the accident airplane on the day prior to the accident.

AIRPLANE INFORMATION

The airplane was powered by a Pratt and Whitney R-1340-AN1 engine, producing 600 horsepower. According to the airplane’s logbooks, the latest annual inspection was completed on August 19, 2009. At the time, the airframe had 2,054.8 hours of operation, while the engine had 6,056.6 hours of operation, with 884.6 hours since major overhaul.

The airplane was described by the other formation pilots as “probably the nicest,” “meticulous,” “beautiful,” and “immaculate,” with “no lack of expense” in maintaining it.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

Weather, reported at Destin Airport, about 10 nautical miles west of the accident site, at 1253, included clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, winds from 190 degrees true at 7 knots, temperature 14 degrees C, dew point -3 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.24 inches Hg.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The wreckage was located in 60 feet of water in the vicinity of 30 degrees, 20.69 minutes north latitude, 86 degrees, 16.79 minutes west longitude.

The wreckage was recovered by divers in pieces, with the largest piece being the fuselage with the engine attached. The tail was only attached by control cables. The wing center section was also recovered; however, the outboard wing sections were not recovered due to low subsurface visibility.

During the recovery, both main landing gear were observed to be retracted into the wing center section.

The wreckage was examined on the recovery barge. One of the two propeller blades was curled aft, about mid-span, and exhibited significant leading edge gouging, diagonal scratches near the tip, and chordwise burnishing. The other propeller blade exhibited curling near the tip and chordwise burnishing.

The engine exhibited impact damage to almost all the cylinders, and was not rotated.

Control cable continuity was confirmed to the rudder and elevator, but could not be confirmed from the control stick to the ailerons due to missing cables. Aileron cables found in the center wing section were broomstrawed, consistent with overload separation.

Most of the cockpit instruments were destroyed in both cockpits; however, the hour meter indicated 2,107.7 hours of operation. There were no recording devices located onboard the airplane.

MEDICAL AND TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot at the Florida District 1, Office of the Medical Examiner, Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The cause of death was determined to be "multiple blunt force injuries."

Toxicological testing was subsequently performed by the FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with no anomalies noted.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a low altitude,over water aerobatic maneuver, which resulted in an aggravated stall/spin. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's loss of situational awareness and his decision to perform aerobatics at a low altitude.