N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Easton, Minnesota 56025
Sunday, May 5, 2013 19:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot performed aerobatic maneuvers for about 5 minutes near a friend's farm and then departed the area. About a minute later, the airplane reappeared and began a left bank that became a spiral descent until ground impact. An examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The autopsy revealed that the pilot had severe coronary artery stenosis in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. According to the pilot's wife, although he had symptoms that may have been related to this disease, he had not received medical attention for them, so the disease was undiagnosed. She added that he had experienced dizziness while previously flying aerobatic maneuvers. In addition, both the pilot's father and grandfather experienced premature sudden cardiac death, which doubled the his risk of having sudden cardiac death. The autopsy was unable to determine whether an acute cardiac event occurred at the time of the accident. However, based on the pilot's recent medical symptoms, severe fixed coronary artery stenosis, and family history of sudden cardiac death and the additional physiologic stress of performing aerobatics, it is likely that the pilot became incapacitated due to an acute cardiac event and lost control of the airplane.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's medical incapacitation due to an acute cardiac event after performing aerobatic maneuvers.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/5/2013
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1930
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Easton
Event State MINNESOTA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 56025
Event Date Year 2013
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 434307N
Event Location Longitude 0935404W
Event Location Airport N/A
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 --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1935 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 354
Weather Observation Facility ID KMKT
Elevation of weather observation facility 1020
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator --
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.09
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report METAR KMKT 060035Z AUTO 36006KT 10SM CLR 16/09 A30
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) 32247
NTSB Notification Source Federal Aviation Administratio
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Nov 18 2013 11:51AM
User who most recently changed record folm
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7KE
NTSB Number CEN13LA256
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name ESKILDSEN
Aircraft Model STEEN SKYBOLT
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 1
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 20 2012 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 18
Airframe Hours 1295
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING SERVICES LLC
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City MANKATO
Aircraft Owner State MN
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 56001-5248
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING SERVICES LLC
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City MANKATO
Operator State MN
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 56001-5248
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
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 MKT
Departure City Mankato
Departure State MN
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code MKT
Destination City Mankato
Destination State MN
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Nov 19 2013 9:36PM
User who most recently changed record folm
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location N/A
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --