Video of Sunday’s incident at the Selfridge Air Show that killed aerial stuntman Todd Green shows a large bird passing just above the biplane’s upper wing as the second-generation wingwalker stood to reach the bottom of the helicopter flying above him.
The video, a copy of which was obtained by The Macomb Daily, does not show conclusively whether the bird struck Green or either aircraft, but could raise questions about whether it caused a split-second distraction.
“I showed it to a couple of people who came to the same conclusion,” said Mount Clemens resident Mike Robinson, who shot the video.
Green, a civilian who has performed as an aerial stuntman for a quarter-century, had made two attempts about 1:30 p.m. Sunday to climb from the plane to the helicopter without a parachute or other safety equipment. Green momentarily gripped the landing “skid” of the helicopter with his right hand, released it and then appeared to lose his balance.
Green fell approximately 200 feet to the ground. Medstar and Selfridge paramedics worked on him for approximately 15 minutes before transporting him to Mount Clemens Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Robinson shot still images from his new camera during the first two passes by Green and the pilot of the 1943 PT 17 Stearman biplane, John Mohr, and the pilot of the Hughes 269C helicopter, Roger Buis.
Before the third try, Robinson switched his camera’s mode.
“I just started doing a video. As I realized that this young man fell, I just set my camera down -- and stood and wondered, like everybody else did,” he said.
Robinson later downloaded the images to his computer to perhaps determine how the accident occurred. Slow-motion revealed the bird.
Robinson took a copy of the segment to a Selfridge official Monday morning.
“He viewed it with me and was astounded at seeing the bird” in the video. “There were other birds on the field, but nothing like that.”
The bird appears to be the size of a hawk. Eight species of hawk are indigenous to the Macomb County area, said Sara Matuszak, a naturalist at the Huron-Clinton Metroparks’ Metro Beach Nature Center in Harrison Township.
Officials have not determined whether wind was a factor in the incident. Winds at Selfridge were out of the west at 15 mph at the time and had been gusting to 20 mph in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, which has a monitoring station at Selfridge.
The National Transportation Safety Board may decide later today whether it will conduct a formal investigation into the Selfridge Air Show incident that killed Green.
“At this point, it would have to be determined by our regional office whether it’s something we should look into,” said NTSB public affairs officer Nicholas Worrell in Washington, D.C., adding that officials were awaiting word from an investigator at the agency’s regional office in Chicago.
The agency investigates aircraft incidents when it suspects mechanical issues could be a factor.
Officials of the 127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard, the host unit at the Harrison Township base, said today they are working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB to investigate the accident which killed the second-generation air show stuntman and horrified tens of the thousands of people who witnessed it.
The aerial show resumed approximately 45 minutes after the accident.
The decision to resume flying was made after consultation with the FAA, senior military leaders at the show and several of the air show performers, said Tech Sgt. Dan Heaton, a spokesman for the 127th Wing.
“Given the nature of the incident involving Mr. Green, the decision was made that there was no additional safety risk to the pilots or to those spectators who were visiting the air show,” Heaton said.
Col . Michael Thomas, commander of the 127 Wing, said: “The entire Selfridge family joins together in mourning the death of Mr. Green. Our hearts reach out to those who are impacted by this tragedy, including his family, friends and our many visitors who witnessed this tragic event.
“As airmen, we understand the inherent risks associated with flight, but we aviators are a close-knit family, and when a tragedy like this occurs we all share in the loss.”
Meanwhile, friends and family of Green are coming to terms with his passing.
One colleague, Margaret Stivers of the Silver Wings Wingwalking Team, described Green as a “strong and true friend,” who was considerate, kind and supportive, and had a playful look in his eyes and was quick with a joke.
“The air-show world is small and even closer is the stunt-wingwalker family,” she said in an email. “For me, this is like a hit in the gut.”
Stivers added that since Green’s father – Hall of Famer aerial stuntman Eddie “The Grip” Green -- is a legend in the air show circuit, so too can Todd be considered “air show royalty.”
“Yet, Todd was a humble person. He was a strong and true friend,” she said.
Original Article, Photos and Video: http://www.theoaklandpress.com
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