ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 74349
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| Date: | Saturday 15 May 2010 |
| Time: | 11:45 |
| Type: |  Yakovlev Yak-52 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N6868Y |
| MSN: | 800606 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1015 hours |
| Engine model: | Vedeneyev M-14P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | E of Nettle Island, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Stuart, FL (SUA) |
| Stuart, FL (SUA) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After takeoff from a nearby airport, the pilot of the accident airplane commenced a series of aerobatic maneuvers at low altitude along a beach. Witnesses observed the airplane flying along the beach about 100 yards offshore in a northerly direction, descending from approximately 300 feet to approximately 50 feet above the water. It next entered a very abrupt and steep turn to the northeast, then went straight up while continuing to turn until it rolled out on a westerly heading toward a cluster of condominiums that lined the beach. The airplane once again made a sharp turn to the right (northbound), then pitched up sharply until it was upside down. It then pitched down, rolled about its longitudinal axis, and impacted the water nose first.
A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact failure or malfunction of the airplane or engine. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Aerobatic Club consider the minimum altitude for aerobatic maneuvers to be 1,500 feet, which the pilot was well below when he commenced the maneuvers. Examination of a landing gear down light bulb revealed filament stretching, which indicated that the light bulb was energized prior to the airplane's impact with the water. Review of photographs taken of the airplane a few minutes prior to the accident and moments before it impacted the water, confirmed that the landing gear was extended. Review of the airplane’s pilot operating handbook revealed that the landing gear was supposed to be raised after takeoff and that the pilot was supposed to check for a landing gear up indication. The extended landing gear would have affected the airplane's performance and would have made the airplane slower to respond to the pilot's inputs. This, in combination with his decision to commence the aerobatic maneuvers at low altitude, resulted in his inability to recover prior to impacting the water.
Probable Cause: The pilot's decision to perform an aerobatic maneuver at a low altitude, which resulted in insufficient clearance from the water to conduct a recovery. Contributing to the accident was the airplane’s extended landing gear, which resulted in a degradation of the airplane's performance.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-May-2010 12:17 | RobertMB | Added |
| 15-May-2010 23:59 | RobertMB | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 16-May-2010 02:10 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities, Embed code] |
| 19-Sep-2010 07:41 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Embed code] |
| 09-Mar-2011 17:13 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 15-May-2012 21:49 | Geno | Updated [Time, Operator, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 08-Feb-2013 08:51 | TB | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 26-Nov-2017 17:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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