Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Belfast Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Belfast, Maine 04915
Sunday, April 6, 2008 17:56 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Just after departure from the airport, the airplane was observed by several witnesses performing a "lazy barrel roll" over a bay. After the first "barrel roll" the airplane was observed starting to perform a climb toward an overcast cloud layer. One eyewitness observed the airplane begin a second maneuver and as it was "still upside down," the nose of the airplane pointed down to the water and disappeared from view. Another eyewitness had turned his back when he assumed the airplane was going into the overcast cloud layer; however, he and several other witnesses heard the "loudest bang" that sounded similar to an engine "back fire." Due to the depths of the water and the size of the debris area, the airplane was not recovered; however, the wreckage was video-taped on the bottom of the bay. Deformation of the wing spars indicated positive high g-loading just prior to impact. The Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 60-4A states in part, "Surface references and the natural horizon may at times become obscured, although visibility may be above visual flight rule minimums. Lack of natural horizon or surface reference is common on overwater flights…" Witness accounts of the accident suggest the pilot became disoriented while performing the aerobatic maneuvers over the water and in proximity to the clouds.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation during an aerobatic maneuver.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/6/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1756 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Belfast |
| Event State | MAINE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 04915 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 442347N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0685743W |
| Event Location Airport | Belfast Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BST |
| 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 | 198 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RKD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.46 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 25910 |
| NTSB Notification Source | New England ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 6 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 15 2009 4:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Portland FAA/FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N601RH |
| NTSB Number | NYC08FA155 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SIAI-Marchetti |
| Aircraft Model | SF-260 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2-50 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 18 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1637 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ace Aviation Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lincolnville |
| Aircraft Owner State | ME |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 04849 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Ace Aviation Inc |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Lincolnville |
| Operator State | ME |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 04849 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | BST |
| Departure City | Belfast |
| Departure State | ME |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1750 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 21 2009 2:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | muzd |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |