Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB CEN21LA091
EXTRA FLUGZEUGPRODUKTIONS-UND EA 300/L — Aledo, TX
| Date | December 17, 2020 |
| Location | Aledo, TX |
| Aircraft | EXTRA FLUGZEUGPRODUKTIONS-UND EA 300/L |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 46 |
| Pilot total time | 6,500 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 170 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained
What happened
The experienced aerobatic pilot completed a formation flight with another airplane and then climbed to about 4,200 ft above ground level (agl) to practice aerobatic maneuvers. Flight track data showed the airplane performing maneuvers for about 3 minutes and ended as the airplane descended through 3,200 ft agl. The airplane continued to descend and impacted flat terrain in a nose-down, upright attitude with minimal forward momentum. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Based on the circumstances, the airplane’s condition at impact, and the statements of airshow pilots familiar with the pilot’s flight training, he likely flew an aerobatic maneuver that transitioned to an upright spin that he was unable to recover from before ground impact.