Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's intentional stall at an altitude insufficient to allow a safe recovery.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot was scheduled to perform in an air show later on the day of the accident. He took off from the airport and proceeded to an uninhabited area to practice aerobatic maneuvers prior to his official demonstration. A witness saw the aircraft enter a hammerhead stall, spin, and then recover. The airplane then entered a second hammerhead stall at low altitude and was in an almost vertical nose down attitude when it disappeared from view.
Source record
Factual narrative
On September 5, 1993, at approximately 1100 central daylight time, N53JS, a Mascola Christen Eagle II, impacted terrain about three miles north of Palo Pinto, Texas, during aerobatic maneuvers. The airplane was destroyed and the airline transport rated pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The pilot was scheduled to perform in an air show later that day. He took off from the airport and proceeded to an uninhabited area to practice aerobatic maneuvers prior to his official demonstration. A witness told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector he saw the airplane enter a hammerhead stall, then spin. The airplane entered a second hammerhead stall at an altitude of approximately 900 feet AGL (above ground level), spin, and disappear behind a small hill. When the witness last saw the airplane, it was in an almost vertical attitude. The witness, who holds a private pilot license, is familiar with aerobatic maneuvers, having performed them in a Beech T-34. The witness also submitted a written statement and it is attached as an exhibit to this report. The FAA inspector submitted a statement describing his on-scene investigation and is attached as an exhibit to this report. -