Siai-Marchetti SF260C N58FD

Summary

On 3 December 1994 at about 20:30 local time, a Siai-Marchetti SF260C registered N58FD was involved in an accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 December 1994 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

36.2407, -115.2305

Aircraft

Siai-Marchetti SF260C

Registration

N58FD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95FA043

2 people died.

the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane by inadvertently allowing the flying passenger to enter a stall/spin. Factors in the accident were the passenger's interference with the pilot's attempted recovery from the spin, and the pilot's lack of experience in small general aviation airplanes.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO ENTERTAIN A NON-PILOT MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC BY PERMITTING HIM TO FLY HANDS-ON A HIGH PERFORMANCE MILITARY FIGHTER-LIKE LIGHT AIRPLANE DURING A SIMULATED DOG FIGHT. THE OPERATOR HAD EQUIPPED THE AIRPLANE WITH A VIDEO RECORDER FROM WHICH BOTH COCKPIT AUDIO AND VIDEO DATA WAS PRESERVED. THE PASSENGER WAS CALLED A 'GUEST FIGHTER PILOT,' AND HE WAS HANDLING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS DURING A SIMULATED AIR COMBAT MANEUVER INITIATED AROUND 5,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) ISSUED REPEATED VERBAL WARNINGS TO THE PASSENGER TO 'STAY OUT OF THE BUFFET.' HOWEVER, DURING A LEFT CLIMBING TURN THE PASSENGER STALLED THE AIRPLANE AND IT BEGAN SPINNING. AS THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED IN THE SPIN, THE PIC TOLD THE PASSENGER THREE TIMES 'I'VE GOT THE AIRPLANE.' THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED 3,600 TO 3,700-FOOT MSL TERRAIN IN A NOSE LOW AND WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE DURING THE INITIATION OF THE PULLUP RECOVERY. THE PIC WAS AN EX-MILITARY FIGHTER PILOT AND HIS CIVILIAN FLYING EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE WITH PASSENGERS WAS LIMITED, HAVING ONLY ACQUIRED EMPLOYMENT WITH THE OPERATOR 1.5 MONTHS EARLIER. THE PIC DID NOT HOLD A CFI CERTIFICATE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.