Manweiller ACRO SPORT II N94SM

Summary

On 20 September 2014 at about 12:57 local time, a Manweiller ACRO SPORT II registered N94SM, operated by Biplane Crazy, LLC, was involved in an accident near Middletown, Ohio, 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

20 September 2014 at 12:57

Classification

Accident

Location

Middletown, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

39.4183, -84.3625

Aircraft

Manweiller ACRO SPORT II

Registration

N94SM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1994

Engines

1

Operator

Biplane Crazy, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hamilton → Hamilton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA507

2 people died.

The failure of the flying pilot to maintain airplane control after an aerodynamic stall/spin occurred during the aerobatic maneuver following a reported intermittent loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examinations.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were flying a local flight and performing aerobatic maneuvers in the experimental amateur-built airplane. A witness reported that she heard the airplane approaching and then saw it and noted that it was at a lower altitude than she normally saw aircraft in the area. The airplane then started to pitch nose up into a loop. As the airplane reached the top of the looping maneuver, the sound of the engine stopped, and the airplane then immediately started descending. The airplane then entered a spiral/spin, and the witness lost sight of the airplane behind some trees. She then heard the sound of an engine, consistent with the pilot adding engine power, followed immediately by the sound of impact. The airplane was engulfed in flames upon her arrival. The witness demonstrated what she had seen with a model airplane, and the demonstration was consistent with an attempted loop with a spin out of the top of the maneuver. Witness marks at the accident site revealed that the airplane was producing power at the time of impact. An examination of the engine and flight controls did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded operation. A weight and balance calculation showed that the airplane was within its published limits. The airplane likely experienced an aerodynamic stall at the top of the looping maneuver and then entered a spin from which the flying pilot was not able to recover. The investigation could not determine which occupant was manipulating the controls during the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.