Chico Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chico, California 95927
Saturday, September 12, 1992 13:52 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NEARING COMPLETION OF AN AEROBATICS DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT AT AN AIR SHOW. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE PILOT PERFORM A 'SPLIT S' MANEUVER, DURING WHICH TIME THE EXPERIMENTAL MICRO JET WAS ROLLED INVERTED TO A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED FROM THE ENTRY PORTION OF THE MANEUVER IN A WINGS LEVEL DIVE TO ABOUT A 60 TO 70 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE UNTIL COLLIDING WITH THE GROUND. A VIDEO TAPE TAKEN BY A SPECTATOR SHOWS THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ATTITUDE DID NOT CHANGE PRIOR TO IMPACT. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE AEROBATIC MANEUVER RECOVERY ALTITUDE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/12/1992
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1352
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City CHICO
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95927
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CHICO
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CIC
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 130
Airport Elevation 238
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1355 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 310
Weather Observation Facility ID CIC
Elevation of weather observation facility 238
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 270
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 668
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 12 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1409
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48065
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:19PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N45DH
NTSB Number LAX92LA381
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name WARREN-THOMAS
Aircraft Model BD-5J
Aircraft Series Identifier BD-5J
Aircraft Serial Number 13B
Certified Max Gross Weight 1950
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 14 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 28
Airframe Hours 238
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AIRBORNE TECHNOLOGY INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address RT. 1 BOX 268-P
Aircraft Owner City SANGER
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 76266
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name HOOVER, DAVID
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address RT. 1 BOX 268-P
Operator City SANGER
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 76266
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1340
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
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 10:35AM
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 --