A witness reported that the pilot made a radio transmission announcing his intention to perform a rolling maneuver in the RANS S10.
He and another witness stated that they then saw the airplane roll through an inverted position and then transition into a steep, high-speed dive.
The left wing separated from the fuselage and the airplane continued in a near-vertical descent until hitting the ground near the airport in Shepherd, Texas.
Post-accident examination revealed that the left front wing spar had fractured near the left wing root due to overload.
No records were found indicating that the non-certificated pilot had received dual flight instruction for aerobatics, and the pilot’s friend reported that he did not think that the pilot had ever received any aerobatic flight training.
A review of the pilot’s journal revealed that he had recently attempted solo aerobatics in the RANS S10, which resulted in high-speed spiral dives at airspeeds higher than the never exceed speed for the airplane. The pilot likely attempted an aerobatic maneuver that exceeded the airplane’s design limitations, which resulted in the subsequent in-flight breakup of the airplane.
The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot’s improper decision to attempt aerobatic maneuvers that exceeded the airplane’s design limitations, which resulted in the subsequent in-flight breakup of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of aerobatic flight instruction.
NTSB Identification: CEN14FA140
This February 2014 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
In the full report, at the bottom, is the following. All I can say is, the boy was crazy….
On January 11, 2014, the pilot wrote the following information in a journal:
“… Flew S10 and tried to roll it, aileron only, about 95 mph (miles per hour) with horizon just a little low. Hard left aileron, plane inverted then went into dive upside down and spiraling. Thought I maybe was too slow so I tried again at about 105 mph, this time I was spiraling real fast upside down in a dive, even with throttle back off and as I was pulling it out this time I noticed my airspeed was 180 mph. I gradually started pulling it out, pulled 4 ½ Gs, and was down to about 600 feet. ”
Never exceed speed (Vne) for the Rans S10 airplane is 130 miles per hour.
According to a friend, the pilot had recently started to attempt aerobatic maneuvers while solo. The pilot told him that the elevator of the airplane tended to “flutter” at higher speeds. After one flight, the pilot told him that he intended to fly less than 125 miles per hour, due to elevator flutter. His friend did not think the pilot had ever taken dual aerobatic flight training.
180 mph! I wonder about his mental capacity after hearing about all his obviously bad decision making.
Sounds like suicide to me. Big insurance policy ?
Stupid is as stupid does. There’s no known cure for stupid.
Stupid.
Non certified again? hmm
According to the NTSB Factual report ” The pilot, age 77, began flying ultralight aircraft in 1983 and recorded 764 flight hours in his logbook as of February 26, 2007. A review of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) database revealed the pilot did not hold a pilot or medical certificate. The pilot did possess a valid driver’s license and was a member of the United States Ultralight Association.” The report also says that, though the pilot bought the plane several years prior to the accident during which he flew it nearly 400 hours the machine received no documented maintenance. Before the fatal accident he told friends of other flights that exceeded Vne, including flutter. Maybe training, a checkride or many, and a certificate might have helped him be a bit more aware of what he was doing.