Sukhoi SU-29 N292SU

Summary

On 19 May 1998 at about 14:56 local time, a Sukhoi SU-29 registered N292SU was involved in an accident near Manassas, Virginia, 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

19 May 1998 at 14:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Manassas, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Manassas Regional Airport (HEF)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Sukhoi SU-29

Registration

N292SU

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

IAD98FA061

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance during an aerobatic maneuver.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight was a scheduled aerobatic demonstration for an airshow. The accident flight was witnessed by several thousand spectators, and recorded on videotape. The airplane was observed entering a skidding turn at the top of a climb. After reversing direction in the turn, the airplane dived toward the ground. The airplane struck the ground before completing the pull out at the bottom. The witnesses said the airplane was 'perilously low ...[and] needed another 300 feet, minimum, on top of what he had.' A review of one videotape revealed the airplane's height above the ground prior to its final descent could not be estimated. However, the maneuvers observed were consistent with the witness accounts. Engine noise was smooth and uninterrupted until ground contact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.