CEN09LA492

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the ground during an aerobatic maneuver.

According to a sheriff’s incident report, a witness observed the experimental amateur-built biplane perform a roll and then enter into a loop. The report indicated that, as “the plane was coming out of the loop, it did not have enough altitude and that is when it struck the ground." The airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted a field. An examination of the airplane wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies.

On August 1, 2009, about 1857 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Stirling Starduster biplane, N1XY, sustained substantial damage when it impacted a field following low level maneuvers near Earlham, Iowa. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The private pilot received serious injuries. The local personal flight originated at time unknown. According to a Dallas County Sheriff’s incident report, a witness observed the airplane perform a roll and then attempted to perform a loop. The report indicated that as “the plane was coming out of the loop, it did not have enough altitude and that is when it struck the ground.” The pilot held a private pilot certificate. His last application for a medical certificate was on October 31, 2005, and on that application he indicated that he had accumulated 900 hours of total flight time. N1XY was an experimental amateur-built Stirling Starduster single-engine, propeller-driven, fixed tailwheel, two-seat, biplane. According to registration and airworthiness records, the biplane was powered by a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360-A4A engine, serial number L-26691-36A and it drove a Sensenich 78 EM8 fixed pitch propeller. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no mechanical anomalies. The pilot was sent an accident report form and a completed one has not been received by the NTSB.