ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 464
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| Date: | Saturday 10 July 1999 |
| Time: | 12:15 |
| Type: | Eagle Aircraft Eagle 150B |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | VH-EAD |
| MSN: | 021 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Avalon, VIC -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Moorabbin, Melbourne (MBW/YMMB) |
| Moorabbin, Melbourne (MBW/YMMB) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Three Eagle 150 aircraft, VH-EAD, VH-FPO and VH-JBA, were engaged on a training flight for an airshow formation routine. The lead aircraft,VH-EAD, was call sign Eagle 1; VH-FPO was Eagle 2 and VH-JBA was Eagle 3. They were operating at heights between 500 ft and 800 feet. Eagle 2 carried a passenger who was a former Royal Air Force pilot with extensive formation flying experience. The other aircraft did not carry passengers.
The training sequence usually included a formation flypast at 500 feet, followed by a break into a bomb-burst manoeuvre. Following the bomb burst, Eagle 1 would pull up steeply to about 800 feet for some low-speed manoeuvres with flaps extended. Eagles 2 and 3 would remain at 500 feet and complete a pass close to each other as they flew in opposite directions. The aircraft would then rejoin for a formation flypast, followed by a break for a stream landing.
On the day of the accident, the pilots practised their routine (except the stream landing) four times. Then, after the bomb burst during the fifth practice, Eagle 1 climbed to between 700 feet and 800 feet for the low-speed manoeuvres with flaps extended, while Eagles 2 and 3 performed their close pass in opposite directions.
As the three aircraft were manoeuvring for a rejoin, the passenger in Eagle 2 observed Eagle 1 roll to the right, flick inverted, and begin rotating to the right in a steep nose-down attitude. The rotation stopped after about one revolution, but the aircraft flicked a second time. The rotation ceased again after about one revolution, but the aircraft flicked inverted again. The pilot did not effect recovery before the aircraft impacted the ground.
ATSB Conclusion:
At the time of the stall, the aircraft was turning right at low airspeed. The passenger in Eagle 2 was giving advice to the pilot of Eagle 1 concerning manoeuvres to enable Eagles 2 and 3 to rejoin formation more efficiently. It is possible the pilot of Eagle 1 was focussing on the rejoin manoeuvre to the extent that he did not recognise the onset of the stall.
The observed manoeuvres are consistent with a stall from an uncoordinated right turn, followed by an incipient spin from which recovery was not effected. The reason the pilot was unable to recover the aircraft from the spin could not be determined. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any defect that may have contributed to the accident.
Sources:
1. http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1999/aair/aair199903333.aspx
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jan-2008 10:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 24-Apr-2014 17:29 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 10-Jun-2022 03:10 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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