Aviat S-1-11B N5111B

Summary

On 23 September 2024 at about 18:57 local time, a Aviat S-1-11B registered N5111B was involved in an accident near Chapmansboro, Tennessee, 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

23 September 2024 at 18:57

Classification

Accident

Location

Chapmansboro, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Whifferdill Airport (TN77)

Coordinates

36.3123, -87.1567

Aircraft

Aviat S-1-11B

Registration

N5111B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24FA391

1 person died.

The pilot’s loss of airplane control while performing an aerobatic maneuver, which resulted in the airplane entering an inverted flat spin at an altitude too low for recovery.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing aerobatic maneuvers between 400 and 2,000 ft above ground level (agl) in an aerobatic practice box. A witness recorded several videos of the airplane as it flew, including a video that captured the final moments of the flight. In the last few seconds of the video, the airplane entered a climb and completed a 4-point aileron roll. The airplane continued to climb briefly after the roll before continuing out of the camera’s view. ADS-B data showed that the airplane’s altitude for this final maneuver was between 700 and 1,800 ft agl. The airplane reappeared on video in a rapid descent in an orientation consistent with an inverted flat spin. An increase in engine rpm could be heard during the final few seconds of the video and engine noise could be heard throughout the flat spin, even after the airplane disappeared below the tree line. Postaccident examinations of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot lost control of the airplane while practicing aerobatic maneuvers, and the airplane entered an inverted flat spin at an altitude too low for recovery.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.