Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Dover, Oklahoma 73734
Tuesady, July 5, 1994 9:40 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED TO DEMONSTRATE A SIMULATED AIR COMBAT MISSION FOR A TV STORY & FOR MARKETING PURPOSES. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE MAKE 2 PASSES AT A BRIDGE. EACH PASS ENDED WITH A STEEP PULL UP, FOLLOWED BY A WINGOVER & RECOVERY. ON THE 3RD PASS, THE PLANE APPROACHED THE BRIDGE ABOUT 50' ABOVE A RIVER BED (PART 91.303 REQUIRED A MINIMUM ALTITUDE OF 1500' FOR AEROBATIC FLIGHT). THE PLANE PULLED UP, ROLLED PAST 90 DEGREES OF BANK & DID A LEFT WINGOVER TYPE MANEUVER, BUT IMPACTED THE GROUND DURING RECOVERY. VIDEO CAMERAS ON THE GROUND & IN THE PLANE CONFIRMED THE WITNESS ACCOUNTS. THE COCKPIT VIDEO RECORDED AN EXPLETIVE FROM THE PILOT & AN ATTEMPT TO LEVEL THE WINGS JUST BEFORE IMPACT. THE PILOT WAS A FORMER U.S. NAVY PILOT WHO LAST FLEW FOR THE NAVY IN 1987. THE NAVY REMOVED HIM FROM FLIGHT STATUS DUE TO LACK OF AERONAUTICAL SKILLS. HE HELD NO CIVILIAN AIRMAN CERTIFICATES. THE OPERATOR WAS CONDUCTING BUSINESS UNDER 14 CFR 91, USING 2 AIRPLANES, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE AN OPERATING CERTIFICATE; THEREFORE, THE LOCAL FAA FSDO WAS NOT REQUIRED TO CONDUCT ON-SITE SURVEILLANCE. FAA INSPECTORS HAD INTERVIEWED & SUBMITTED WRITTEN STATEMENTS TO THE OPERATOR, INCLUDING VISITS TO OFFICES OF THE OPERATOR, BUT HAD NOT BECOME AWARE OF THE PILOT'S LACK OF CREDENTIALS. AFTER A VISIT (ABT 6/23/94), THE PILOT WAS ASKED TO SHOW HIS CERTIFICATION, BUT HE SAID HE LEFT HIS BILLFOLD IN HIS CAR AT LUNCH; THE INSPECTOR TOLD HIM TO BE SURE TO HAVE HIS CERTIFICATES WITH HIM SHOULD HE FLY, THEN LEFT, AS HE WAS LATE FOR HIS NEXT APPOINTMENT. THE FAR'S DID NOT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THIS TYPE OF MISSION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE WHILE PERFORMING AN AEROBATIC DEMONSTRATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE TRAINING, HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION, AND INSUFFICIENT FAA OVERSIGHT OF THIS TYPE OF OPERATION.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/5/1994
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 940
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City DOVER
Event State OKLAHOMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 73734
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 953 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 135
Weather Observation Facility ID PWA
Elevation of weather observation facility 1299
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 31
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 20
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 21
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 3503
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 102
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 5 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1300
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 11:42AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N260MS
NTSB Number FTW94FA220
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name SIAI-Marchetti
Aircraft Model F.260
Aircraft Series Identifier F.260
Aircraft Serial Number 3-76
Certified Max Gross Weight 2430
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 5 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 100
Airframe Hours 6085
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name STEVENS, MAURICE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 6757 ARAPAHO RD, SUITE 711-179
Aircraft Owner City DALLAS
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 75248
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AIR STRIKES INTERNATIONAL INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PWA
Departure City OKLAHOMA CITY
Departure State OK
Departure Country
Departure Time 835
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code PWA
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --