Stump Bradley Kolb — Calhoun, TN

What happened

According to a witness, he observed the airplane climb straight up and then do a “cartwheel” and come straight down before leveling out. He watched as the airplane did this maneuver two more times. On the third time the airplane went straight up and flipped over backwards, and at about 200 feet above ground level started to spin before colliding with the ground. The airplane was not certificated for aerobatics. Examination of the airframe, engine and system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction. Toxicological testing detected a prescription painkiller, a prescription anti-nausea medication, and an over-the-counter antihistamine in specimens from the pilot. No blood was available, so it was not possible to estimate when the substances might have most recently been used or whether the pilot may have been impaired by one or more of the medications at the time of the accident. The pilot had neither noted the use of any medications nor the presence of any conditions requiring the use of medications at the time of his most recent application for a Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.