Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane while performing an acrobatic maneuver.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
According to the pilot, '[the] accident occurred immediately after inverted ribbon cut.' After cutting the ribbon the flight continued to descend and struck the runway while still inverted. The airplane slid off the left side of the runway into the grass, and caught fire as the pilot exited. No discrepancies were found with either the airframe or engine.
Source record
Factual narrative
On April 27, 1996, about 1500 eastern daylight time, an Aerotek Pitts S-2A, N8040 , registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91, other work use, local flight, and crashed in the vicinity of Reidsville, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed, and the commercial pilot received minor injuries. According to the pilot, "[the] accident occurred immediately after inverted ribbon cut." After cutting the ribbon the flight continued to descend and struck the runway still inverted. The airplane slid off the left side of the runway into the grass, and caught fire as the pilot exited. An FAA Inspector witnessed the accident and stated, "while monitoring the airshow...I observed the Pitts S2A...perform an inverted ribbon cut maneuver along Runway 13...after cutting through the ribbon, the aircraft continued its descent and contacted the runway surface while inverted." An examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any discrepancies, and the pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions. -