Sukhoi SU-26MX N26TJ

Summary

On 17 June 1990 at about 18:44 local time, a Sukhoi SU-26MX registered N26TJ was involved in an accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 June 1990 at 18:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States

Nearest airport

Will Rogers World (OKC)

Coordinates

35.3896, -97.5808

Aircraft

Sukhoi SU-26MX

Registration

N26TJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW90FA120

1 person died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO RECOVER FROM THE AEROBATIC MANEUVER AND SUBSEQUENT STALL/SPIN, DUE TO INADEQUATE ALTITUDE. FATIGUE MAY HAVE BEEN A RELATED FACTOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT OF THE RUSSIAN BUILT ACFT WAS PARTICIPATING IN AN AEROBATIC SHOW, OF WHICH, HE WAS THE DIRECTOR. HE HAD RPRTD HE WAS FATIGUED, THAT HE HAD BEEN UNDER CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE & THAT HE MIGHT HAVE TO STOP FLYING IN THE AIRSHOW. DRG THE AIRSHOW, A VERTICAL TORQUE ROLL & TAIL SLIDE WERE PERFORMED. ANOTHER TORQUE ROLL & TAIL SLID WERE THEN MADE THAT RESULTED IN AN INVERTED RECOVERY. FINALLY, ANOTHER TORQUE ROLL & TAIL SLIDE WERE PERFORMED THAT EVOLVED IN A 1-1/2 TURN SPIN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT INPACTED THE GND IN ABOUT A 65 DEG DSCNT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACDNT. THE PLT HAD ENGAGED THE SMOKE GENERATOR FOR THE LAST MNVR & SMOKE ENGULFED THE ACFT AS THE TAIL SLIDE BGN. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE PLT WAS OPERG THE ELEVATOR CTL TO RECOVER BEFORE IMPACT. HE HAD BEEN TAKING A BETA BLOCKER (PROPRANOLOL), WHICH HAD BEEN PRESCRIBED WITH THE WARNING OF NOT TO USE BEFORE FLT. A BLOOD TEST SHOWED 0.15 MCG/ML OF PROPRANOLOL, BUT NO PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT WAS VERIFIED. DENSITY ALT WAS ABOUT 3800 FT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.