Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB CEN12LA112
AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT 8KCAB — Marysville, OH
| Date | December 22, 2011 |
| Location | Marysville, OH |
| Aircraft | AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT 8KCAB |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-aerobatics Low altitude operation/event |
| Pilot age | 42 |
| Pilot total time | 2,000 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-(general)-(general)-Pilot - C
What happened
The pilot was performing low-level aerobatics for a ground-based observer for the purpose of renewing his low-level aerobatic competency waiver. As the airplane was pulling out from a dive while performing a maneuver described by the observer as a “modified clover-leaf/split-‘S’,” the airplane struck the ground in a wings-level attitude. The observer noted that nothing sounded out of the ordinary with respect to engine operation during the flight. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed no anomalies that could be attributed to a preexisting failure or malfunction. Based on the witness description and the postaccident examination, it is likely that the pilot misjudged the aerobatic maneuver and had insufficient altitude to recover from the ensuing dive.