ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 39136
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| Date: | Tuesday 19 May 1998 |
| Time: | 11:56 LT |
| Type: |  Sukhoi Su-29 |
| Owner/operator: | Miles J. Merritt |
| Registration: | N292SU |
| MSN: | 73-02 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 365 hours |
| Engine model: | Vendeneyev M14P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Manassas, VA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | (KHEF) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The flight was a scheduled aerobatic demonstration for an airshow. The accident flight was witnessed by several thousand spectators, and recorded on videotape. The airplane was observed entering a skidding turn at the top of a climb. After reversing direction in the turn, the airplane dived toward the ground. The airplane struck the ground before completing the pull out at the bottom. The witnesses said the airplane was 'perilously low ...[and] needed another 300 feet, minimum, on top of what he had.' A review of one videotape revealed the airplane's height above the ground prior to its final descent could not be estimated. However, the maneuvers observed were consistent with the witness accounts. Engine noise was smooth and uninterrupted until ground contact.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance during an aerobatic maneuver.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB IAD98FA061
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 07-Apr-2024 12:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report] |
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