Stump Bradley KOLB N2456

Summary

On 8 August 2009 at about 15:15 local time, a Stump Bradley KOLB registered N2456, operated by Bradley Stump, was involved in an accident near Calhoun, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 August 2009 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Calhoun, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

35.2717, -84.7217

Aircraft

Stump Bradley KOLB

Registration

N2456

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Bradley Stump

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cleveland → Cleveland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA450

2 people died.

The pilot’s decision to perform aerobatics at a low altitude and his failure to maintain control of the airplane while performing aerobatics.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to a witness, he observed the airplane climb straight up and then do a “cartwheel” and come straight down before leveling out. He watched as the airplane did this maneuver two more times. On the third time the airplane went straight up and flipped over backwards, and at about 200 feet above ground level started to spin before colliding with the ground. The airplane was not certificated for aerobatics. Examination of the airframe, engine and system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction. Toxicological testing detected a prescription painkiller, a prescription anti-nausea medication, and an over-the-counter antihistamine in specimens from the pilot. No blood was available, so it was not possible to estimate when the substances might have most recently been used or whether the pilot may have been impaired by one or more of the medications at the time of the accident. The pilot had neither noted the use of any medications nor the presence of any conditions requiring the use of medications at the time of his most recent application for a Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.