Grumman F8F-1 N14HP

Summary

On 4 April 2012 at about 19:10 local time, a Grumman F8F-1 registered N14HP, operated by Breckenridge Aviation Museum, was involved in an accident near Breckenridge, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 April 2012 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Breckenridge, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Stephens County Airport (BKD)

Coordinates

32.7189, -98.8917

Aircraft

Grumman F8F-1

Registration

N14HP

Category

Airplane

Year built

1945

Engines

1

Operator

Breckenridge Aviation Museum

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Breckenridge → Breckenridge

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12LA227

1 person died.

The pilot's loss of airplane control during a low-altitude aerobatic maneuver.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness to the accident reported that the pilot announced over the radio that he was going to perform a half Cuban eight aerobatic maneuver after takeoff and then overfly the runway in the opposite direction. The witness stated that, after takeoff, the airplane entered a shallow climb to about 150 feet before it pitched up into a near vertical climb. The airplane continued the climb in an inside loop before leveling out, inverted, about 500 feet above the runway, heading in the opposite direction of the takeoff. The witness then saw the airplane's wings roll suddenly before the airplane entered a near-vertical descent. The witness described the final portion of the aerobatic maneuver as a split-S maneuver, or a descending half loop, from which the airplane did not recover before colliding with trees and terrain on a southeasterly heading. The witness stated that the airplane exploded on impact and that a postimpact fire ensued. The postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reportedly was as an experienced aerobatic pilot who had routinely performed at airshows throughout his flying career. The pilot's medical history included coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease, cataract surgery, and hypothyroidism. The autopsy was limited by the absence of most of the cardiac tissue; therefore, it could not be determined if the pilot was impaired or incapacitated by an acute coronary event during the low-altitude aerobatic maneuver.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.