Date:	Saturday 13 August 1966
Time:	14:30
Type:	Grumman F8F-2
Owner/operator:
Registration:	N7826C
MSN:	121699
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Amarillo AFB, Amarillo TX -   United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Demo/Airshow/Display
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Improperly executed low altitude acrobatic maneuver (hammerhead stall). Insufficient altitude for proper spin recovery.

NTSB

Amarillo News-Globe August 14, 1966
Excerpt: Tragedy terminated Aviation Day activities at Amarillo Air Terminal Saturday afternoon when Shelby M. Krister, a well-known veteran Amarillo flier, crashed and died before a crowd of about 2000 persons. His WWII Grumman F8F Bearcat knifed into the edge of a runway and exploded in an orange-red ball of roaring flame.
The tragedy occurred at 2:32 pm about 200 yards from two grandstands crowded with persons on hand for the aerial demonstrations. Krister, 52, who was president of Tradewind Aviation and chairman of the Texas Aeronautics Commision completed a series of intricate and difficult manouvers with the plane before attempting the one which cost him his life - a hammerhead stall. Krister brought the Navy fighter in low over the field and went into a vertical climb, executing a 360-degree roll as he approached stalling speed. At the top of the stall, he slid off into a fluttering spin with his power off. He was able to recover from the spin, but his 2350 horsepower Pratt & Whitney engine apparently failed him and he could not recover from his dive.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Feb-2008 12:00	ASN archive	Added
28-May-2021 06:34	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative]