The Bucker Jungmann and Great Lakes 2T-1E were part of a performance team that was participating in an air show in Red Hook, New York.
During the flight, the Bucker Jungmann was the No. 4 airplane in the formation and the Great Lakes was in the No. 5 position and trailing the Bucker Jungmann.
A witness video revealed that during the formation flight, the Great Lakes overtook and was above the Bucker Jungmann. Both airplanes then collided, with the top of the Bucker Jungmann hitting the bottom of the Great Lakes.
The impact resulted in the Bucker Jungmann’s propeller being damaged so the airplane was no longer capable of maintaining altitude. The pilot of the Bucker Jungmann performed a forced landing in a wooded area, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. He was not injured in the crash.
The midair collision resulted in minor damage to the Great Lakes and the pilot was able to land without incident.
Probable Cause: The Great Lakes pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from the Bucker Jungmann while maneuvering during an air show, which resulted in a midair collision, the inability of the Bucker Jungmann to maintain altitude, and its subsequent forced landing.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This July 2024 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.
The Great Lakes Pilot was the cause, by overtaking the Bucker Jungmann. I’m happy that the pilot of Jungmann was able to make it to the ground without getting injured. The pilot of the Great Lakes sounds very receptive to feedback, per the NTSB report- it seems like he knew he was fast, lost sight of the number 4 plane, but was mostly worried about being hit by no 6, so he crept up in the formation. Sounds like all was briefed well, it came down to an execution error. Shame for the airplane, but glad all pilots made it out safely.
Formation flying should never be performed or allowed by a Private Pilot. The training for formation flying should be mandatory if one wants to do it, other wise – don’t.
Never fly multi-plane formation with anyone unless they’ve had formal training! Preferably military training!
And all formation flights should be thoroughly briefed!
Plan the flight and fly the plan!
Not injured? Boy, that Bucker is one tough bird!
The pilot deserves a little credit, too.