Titusville, FL, USA
N63925
Aero Vodochody Aero. Works L-39C
A witness provided a video recording of the airplane while it was maneuvering prior to and during the accident. The recording showed the airplane ascending and penetrating a scattered cloud layer at the top of a loop. The airplane then came back into view on the video, descending out of the loop before impacting the ground at a high velocity in a flat attitude and in a forward motion. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces. Postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 16, 2007, about 1443 eastern daylight time, an Aero Vodochody L-39C Albatros, N63925, registered to and operated by Best Jet Services LC, crashed while performing at the TICO Warbird Airshow, Space Coast Regional Airport (KTIX), Titusville, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airline transport-rated pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight originated in Titusville, the same day, about 1430. A witness stated that while the pilot of the accident airplane was performing his solo routine at the airshow, the airplane ascended and penetrated a scattered cloud layer at the top of a loop. The airplane then came back into view out of the loop, and continued to roll right while descending in a steep nose-low attitude, at a high speed. The witness further stated that during the loop the angle of descent became progressively shallow as the airplane neared the ground, as if the pilot was attempting to pull out of the dive at too low an altitude. The airplane impacted the terrain just north of the tree-line along runway 09-27. During the course of the accident airplane’s maneuvers, several members of public audience made video recordings of the accident flight immediately prior to, and during the impact. The video was examined, and it showed the airplane had reached the top of a Cuban eight maneuver, inverted in a cloud, and then descended inverted out of the cloud in a nose low attitude. The airplane then rolled to the right, and while still nose low and pointed towards the crowd, continued the roll to the right to a more westerly heading. The aircraft continued its descent to a slight nose low, left wing slightly low, near level upright attitude, impacting the terrain. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The 58 year old pilot possessed an FAA airline transport pilot certificate with airplane single and multiengine land ratings, issued in February 12, 2007. He also possessed type ratings in the BE-400, CE-500, CE-525, CE-525S, and MU-300, and had been granted authorization to operate experimental aircraft, specifically the AV-L39, with a level 4 limitation of 800 feet. He had completed a flight review on February 12, 2007, and stated that he held a letter of authorization for surplus military turbine powered aircraft. He also stated to the FAA inspector supervising the airshow, that he possessed a statement of aerobatic competency, and a low altitude waiver. The pilot also held an FAA first class medical certificate dated Nov 28, 2006, with the stated limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. According to the information the pilot provided at his last medical examination, the accident pilot indicated that he had accumulated a total in excess of 6,000 hours of flight experience, with over 100 hours having been accumulated within the last 6 months. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The accident airplane, an Aero Vodochody, L-39C, Albatross, serial number 031803, was manufactured by Aero Vodochody of the Czech Republic in 1980. According to the airplane’s flight manual it was designed as a basic, and advanced trainer, as well as for use in light attack missions, when so configured. The airplane was powered by an Ivchenko AI-25TL, turbofan engine, rated at 3,800 lbs trust. The airplane is certificated in the experimental class, and in the exhibition category, and was equipped with twin tandem ejection seats. The airplane was registered to Best Jet Services LLC., of Gainesville, Florida, with the certificate being issued on March 14, 2006. It was also marketed for airshow purposes by the pilot, and was equipped for flight in day visual flight rules conditions. On the day of the accident the airplane had been given a ramp check, and the results of the ramp check were recorded on an Airshow Technical Inspection Form, in which no discrepancies were noted with either the accident airplane or the pilot. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The Spacecoast Regional Airport (TIX) 1842Z (1442EDT), surface weather observation was: winds from 260 at 24 knots, visibility 7 statute miles, cloud coverage 3,000 feet scattered 10,000 broken, temperature 74 degrees F, altimeter 29.81 inHG. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION Postcrash examination of the accident site revealed information consistent with the airplane having impacted the terrain at high velocity, and in a relative flat attitude. The debris field consisted of an area of about 368 feet long, oriented east to west, and about 184 feet wide. The east end of the impact area began at a geographic position of 28 degrees 30.987 minutes North latitude, and 080 degrees, 48.216 minutes West longitude. The accident site consisted of wooded soft muddy level terrain. The vegetation at the site consisted of a mixture of palm trees, willow trees, maple trees, live oak trees, palmettos, ferns and other scrub vegetation, which varied in height from knee-level to about 60 feet, and varied in density from being relatively open to being dense and overgrown. The impact crater and debris field were located at the eastern end, and were aligned east-to-west approximately 800 feet north of the centerline of runway 09 - 27, approximately 150 yards in length on an approximate magnetic direction of 270 degrees. The impact crater had an elliptical shape and was about 4 feet deep, about 60 feet wide at its widest point, and about 100 feet long. There was a mixture of aircraft debris and liquid which appeared consistent with that of a mixture that included water, fuel and oil deposited in the crater. On the south side of the crater, a major portion of the left wing was found. Several large palm trunks had been uprooted and lay in a westerly direction consistent with witness accounts of the last observed heading within the FAA approved airshow box. The debris field down stream of the impact crater was generally a conical propagation pattern. To the immediate south of the debris field the area was densely wooded and less debris was noted. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces, impact related explosions, and the postcrash fire. Sections of the aircraft wreckage were generally distributed with the heavier sections propagating generally to the west along the centerline of the airshow box. The largest portions, including the empennage, engine core, burned out cockpit, and sections of airframe were distributed along a narrow westerly path from the crater and comprised about three quarters of the length of the debris field. Smaller pieces of aircraft structural debris as well as well as airshow related marketing literature were observed throughout the debris field, but they were not distributed in any distinct pattern. All aircraft gages had been destroyed by impact forces and/or the postcrash fire and the few gauges that were discernable among the debris were unreadable and/or unreliable. Recovered gauges included an altimeter which read 1,900 feet, and its Kollsman window which read 29.69 inHg; a combination instrument to measure the turn rate and coordination, angle of bank, and vertical speed was also found. The instrument showed about 10 degrees left wing down, with no other indications directly discernible. An airspeed indicator was found and it showed "300" but no units were shown. An instrument was located with a reading of 7 and a quarter, and it exhibited markings consistent with an aircraft accelerometer. There was also an instrument with dual needles labeled 1 and 2, and gauge face markings from 0 to 100 percent posessing markings consistent with those of a tachometer. There was also the gage face plate with symmetrical left and right scales consistent with the wheel brake pressure indicator. On October 17, 2007, the NTSB examined the engine and noted evidence consistent with all engine damage being related to the impact. There was ingestion of dirt shrubs, grass and other impact related debris, and the rotational damage noted was in the direction opposite of rotation. Dirt, leaves, and shrubs were found downstream in the engine, consistent with power being produced at impact. During the course of the on-scene examination, burnt and fragmented sections of the airplane’s two ejection seats and cockpit canopy were among the debris, and they exhibited characteristics consistent with the presence of explosive charges. As a result, the NTSB halted the investigation, and requested assistance from members of the Titusville Police Bomb Disposal Unit. The Titusville Police Department consulted with Patrick Air Force Base’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team, who confirmed that the seats and canopy were armed with explosive devices. EOD personnel removed the explosive devices from the accident scene, and neutralized the explosive charges. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION Post mortem examination of the pilot was performed by a pathologist with the District 18 Medical Examiner’s Office, Rockledge, Florida. The cause of death was attributed to be due to massive multiple blunt force injuries. No findings, which could be considered causal, were reported. The FAA Toxicology Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, conducted toxicology studies on specimens from the pilot. The specimens were tested for ethanol and drugs, and none were found to be present. TESTS AND RESEARCH The NTSB received two digital video files on a CD media. The video had been filmed by spectators at the airshow using hand held video cameras, and they captured the accident sequence. Both videos followed the accident airplane while it was maneuvering prior to and during the accident. See the NTSB Video Recording Factual Report. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION On March 19, 2007, the NTSB released the airplane wreckage to Mr. David Gourgues, Regional Manager, CTC Services Aviation (LAD) Inc.
The pilot’s failure to ensure sufficient altitude while maneuvering in close proximity to the ground during an airshow, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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