Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Iona, Idaho 83427
Saturday, September 18, 1999 9:20 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A videotape of the accident showed the aircraft successfully completing a series of two counter-clockwise aileron rolls, immediately followed by two clockwise snap rolls. During the second run of maneuvers, initiated from an approximate altitude of 100-200 feet AGL, the aircraft recovered from the final snap roll in a 90 degree right-wing down, nose low attitude rather than the wings level attitude of the previous maneuver. One to two seconds later, the aircraft returned to a wings-level attitude having lost approximately half of its available altitude. The nose pitched back to a flat attitude and the aircraft impacted the ground. The aircraft's engine was heard to rev on the tape about a second after the impact.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot-in-command's delayed recovery from a snap roll. A contributing factor was the low altitude at which the maneuver was initiated.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/18/1999
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 920
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City IONA
Event State IDAHO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 83427
Event Date Year 1999
Event Date Month 9
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 925 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 75
Weather Observation Facility ID IDA
Elevation of weather observation facility 4740
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 13
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 12
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 5
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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) 1038
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 18 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1000
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 11:56AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N11PU
NTSB Number SEA99LA166
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 Pitts
Aircraft Model 11
Aircraft Series Identifier 11
Aircraft Serial Number ADE 0001
Certified Max Gross Weight 1500
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Apr 1 1999 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 82
Airframe Hours 683
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name STARTING LINE PRODUCTS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 743 EAST IONA ROAD
Aircraft Owner City IDAHO FALLS
Aircraft Owner State ID
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 83401
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name NOBLE, JAMES, K.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 743 EAST IONA ROAD
Operator City IDAHO FALLS
Operator State ID
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 83401
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code IDA
Departure City IDAHO FALLS
Departure State ID
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
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 --