Saturday, September 01, 2012

Aero Vodochody L-39C Albatros, Private (Warbird Education Foundation), N139GS: Accident occurred September 01, 2012 in Davenport, Iowa

http://registry.faa.gov/N139GS  

NTSB Identification: CEN12LA602
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, September 01, 2012 in Davenport, IA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/13/2014
Aircraft: AERO VODOCHODY L39C, registration: N139GS
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The accident airplane was one of three airplanes in an airshow performance. After overflying the spectators and while flying away from the flight line, the airplanes executed a “crossover break” maneuver, at the beginning of which the accident airplane was in the left wing position. As planned, the lead airplane would climb while the left wing position airplane would enter a right turn and the right wing position airplane would enter a left turn with adequate longitudinal spacing. During the maneuver, the accident airplane entered the right turn as planned, but then descended and impacted the terrain. A postimpact fire ensued. No evidence of an in-flight collision with either of the other airplanes was observed. Witnesses reported that they did not observe any movement of the airplane's flight control surfaces before the airplane impacted terrain, which would be inconsistent with the pilot attempting to recover from the descent. The postaccident examination did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded operation.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On September 1, 2012, approximately 1330 central daylight time, an Aero Vodochody L39C single-engine turbo-jet airplane, N139GS, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering during an air show performance at the Davenport Municipal Airport (DVN), Davenport, Iowa. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to the Warbird Education Foundation, Frisco, Texas, and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an air show flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from DVN approximately 1315.

Video and witness information documented the flight of three L-39 airplanes during their air show performance. According to the lead pilot, the three airplanes were traveling in a westerly direction away from the spectators and were executing a crossover break maneuver, which the accident airplane was in the left wing position. During the crossover break maneuver, the lead airplane first entered a climbing maneuver, the left wing position airplane entered a right turn and then the right wing position airplane entered a left turn with adequate longitudinal spacing. During the maneuver, the accident airplane entered the right turn, descended, and impacted the terrain. A post-impact fire ensued. No evidence of any in-flight collision with the other airplanes was observed. No communication or distress call were received by either the lead or right wing position pilot from the accident pilot.

Witnesses reported that they did not observe any movement of the airplane's flight control surfaces prior to the airplane impacting terrain.

Review of several videos showed that after the crossover break maneuver turns were performed, the lead and right wing position airplanes turned off their smoke and the left wing position airplane's smoke continued to remain on until the impact. According to a team representative, the right wing position airplane pilot calls for the break and smoke on/off.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 59, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, airplane single-engine sea, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot held type ratings for L-39, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 and MiG-17 airplanes.

His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second class medical certificate was issued on May 29, 2012, without limitations.

The pilot's logbooks were not located during the investigation. According to a friend of the pilot, he had accumulated approximately 2,500 total flight hours and 600 hours in jet airplanes.

Friends of the pilot reported he was in excellent health, rarely consumed alcohol, and exercised regularly.

A friend noted the pilot had a history of G-tolerance issues. The friend reported the pilot blacked out momentarily during a formation flight and may have experienced G-related issues on two other occasions. The pilot attended ground school training on G awareness and also reviewed United States Air Force documentation on G training.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatross was a high-performance tandem seat jet trainer aircraft serial number 432833, manufactured in 1984. The airplane was powered by a single turbo fan Ivchenko AI-25TL 3,792-lb thrust engine.

The airplane was issued an experimental exhibition special airworthiness certificate on January 14, 2009. The airplane was registered to the owner on December 31, 2008.

The airplane logbooks were not located during the investigation. The most recent inspection and total aircraft times could not be determined. According to friends of the pilot, the airplane was in immaculate condition and there were no recent maintenance issues.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1347, the DVN automated surface observing system reported the wind from 070 degrees at 14 knots, visibility 9 miles, decreasing rain, scattered clouds at 2,300 feet, sky overcast at 4,000 feet, temperature 22 degrees Celsius, dew point 20 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.97 inches of Mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

Examination of the accident site by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors showed the airplane was severely fragmented and consumed by fire. The main wreckage came to rest 1.2 miles from DVN in a field. The airplane was recovered from the field and brought to a secure location for further examination.

Examination of the airplane by FAA inspectors and representatives familiar with L-39 airplanes revealed several disconnects in the flight control system due to impact and postaccident thermal damage. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site and no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were noted with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Two small video recorder devices were found at the accident site. The recorders were recovered and sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders laboratory in Washington, DC, for data extraction. Due to damage, no information was recovered from the video recorder devices.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

On September 3, 2012, an autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner, Ankeny, Iowa. The pilot's death was attributed to multiple blunt force and thermal injuries.

Toxicological testing was performed by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The report revealed that testing for carbon monoxide and cyanide was not performed. Ethanol was detected in the liver, spleen, muscle, and heart. N-Propanol was detected in the spleen. These volatiles were consistent with postmortem production of alcohols.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

On February 29, 1984, the FAA released Advisory Circular 91-61, A Hazard In Aerobatics: Effects Of G Forces On Pilots. The document stated in part:

"...One little known, but important, aspect of tolerance of G's is the effect of rapid changes from +Gz to -Gz, or vice versa. Because aerobatics induce such rapid changes, tolerance to changes could be highly significant. It is known, for example, that when one is subjected to -Gz, blood pressure receptors in the head and chest respond to the increased pressure and cause a reflex slowing of the heart. A rapid change to +Gz (for example, when the pilot executes a half-roll during a maneuver) would suddenly drop blood pressure in these receptors and there would be a rapid speeding up of the heart to maintain pressure; but because the reflex system requires some time to sense the need, the heart could be delayed in responding to this demand and blood flow to the brain might suddenly decrease...anything that reduces blood volume or cardiovascular response may reduce G tolerance. Dehydration, excessive sweating, severe sunburn, low blood pressure, prolonged standing or sitting, hypoxia, infection (even minor illnesses), and medications all lower G tolerance. Alcohol and hangovers will reduce your ability to perform aerobatic maneuvers. Make sure you are as fit as your aircraft...."

G Induced Loss of Consciousness (GLOC)

The average threshold of a pilot to blackout is 4.7 g's and laps in to unconsciousness at 5.4 g's. The rate of g on-load is a significant factor in establishing the amount of g load a pilot can withstand (AC-91-61).


 NTSB Identification: CEN12LA602 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, September 01, 2012 in Davenport, IA
Aircraft: AERO VODOCHODY L39C, registration: N139GS
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On September 1, 2012, approximately 1330 central daylight time, an Aero Vodochody L39C single-engine turbo-jet airplane, N139GS, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain while maneuvering during an air show performance at the Davenport Municipal Airport (DVN), Davenport, Iowa. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to the Warbird Education Foundation, Frisco, Texas, and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as an air show flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from DVN approximately 1315.

Preliminary video and witness information revealed the flight of three L-39 airplanes during their air show performance. Shortly before the accident, the three airplanes were traveling in a westerly direction away from the spectators. According to the lead pilot, the airplanes were executing a crossover break maneuver, which the accident airplane was in the left wing position. During the crossover break maneuver, the lead airplane first entered a climbing maneuver, the left wing airplane entered a right turn and then the right wing airplane entered a left turn with adequate longitudinal spacing. During the maneuver, the accident airplane entered the right turn, descended, and impacted the terrain. A post-impact fire ensued. No evidence of any in-flight collision with the other airplanes was observed.

Examination of the accident site by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors showed the airplane was severely fragmented and consumed by fire. The main wreckage came to rest 1.2 miles from DVN in a field. The airplane was recovered from the field and brought to a secure location for further examination.

At 1347, the DVN automated surface observing system reported the wind from 070 degrees at 14 knots, visibility 9 miles, decreasing rain, scattered clouds at 2,300 feet, sky overcast at 4,000 feet, temperature 22 degrees Celsius, dew point 20 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.97 inches of Mercury.





 
Glenn “Skids” Smith was flying as a member of The Hoppers flight team when his plane crashed at the Quad City Air Show Saturday, September 1, 2012.

The crash happened just after 1 p.m. in an alfalfa field southwest of the Davenport Municipal Airport at Mount Joy, Iowa.

See more about the crash, including video and photos at this link:  http://wqad.com/2012/09/01/plane-goes-down-at-quad-city-air-show/

The Hoppers website said Smith was the newest member of The Hoppers team and he was working on becoming a certified lead formation pilot. 

Smith was from Frisco, Texas. 

 Smith had more than two decades, and more than 2,000 hours, of flying experience and held a commercial pilot’s license with instrument rating. 

“The Hoppers quickly became close and trusted friends. They are a special group of aviators dedicated to aviation safety and proficiency; and we use the excitement of aviation as a message to motivate kids to succeed,” the site said, quoting Smith.

Smith flew as First Officer on the crew for the Grace Flight Around the World Mission 2010.  He and two other aviators flew around the world in the summer of 2010 to raise awareness and funding for Grace Flight of America, which relies on donations and volunteer pilots to give free air transportation for medical and humanitarian purposes.  

Smith was also a certified scuba diver and licensed sailor who enjoyed snow skiing and golf.  He was 58 years old.

 http://wqad.com

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 139GS        Make/Model: EXP       Description: AERO VODOCHODY L39C
  Date: 09/01/2012     Time: 1830

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: DAVENPORT   State: IA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS 
  FATALLY INJURED, NEAR DAVENPORT, IA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: DES MOINES, IA  (CE01)                Entry date: 09/04/2012 
 

 
Glenn Smith, 58, of Frisco, Texas, was killed when his jet crashed Saturday at the Quad-City Air Show. (Photo from Hopperflight.com.)



http://qctimes.com


Update: 11:48 a.m.: Authorities have released the name of the pilot. He is Glenn A. Smith, 58, of Frisco, Texas. He also is listed as the director of the foundation, Warbird Education Foundation, that owned the plane.

Smith, whose nickname is “Skids” was a technology entrepreneur who founded a company in 1981 that provides information technology services to local governments, according to the Hoppers team website.

He started flying about 24 years ago and earned his commercial pilot’s license.

The website said Smith is the newest member of the team and flies a PT-17 Stearman, T-37 Tweet, MiG-17, L-39 and Super Cub, according to the site.
Glenn also was a certified scuba diver, licensed sailor and enjoyed sking and golf, the Hopper site said.

Shortly after 8 a.m., a squadron of planes flew over the crash site in missing man formation.

Investigators are mapping the scene and will take aerial photos of the crash site this morning. The plan is to be done and out of the field today.

Pilot dies in plane crash during Quad-City Air Show

Updated 9:12 p.m.: A pilot flying in formation with two other retired military jets failed to come out of a 45-degree bank during a Quad-City Air Show performance, crashing Saturday afternoon into a field just north of Interstate 80.

The pilot, part of the Hoppers Flight Jet Team, died in the crash about 1:25 p.m.

The impact sent a huge fireball into the sky just southwest of the Davenport Municipal Airport, where thousands of spectators were watching the annual air show.

Davenport Assistant Police Chief Don Schaeffer told reporters the plane went directly into the ground.

“He never had an opportunity to come out of it,” Schaeffer added.

No one on the ground was injured.

Schaeffer said the Davenport Police Department was the lead agency investigating the crash Saturday afternoon. Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, officials, who were stationed at the air show, were also at the crash scene in the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center off Northwest Boulevard.

An FAA spokesman, Lynn Lunsford, said that because it was a fatal crash, the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. He did not know when officials from that agency would be on-site.

As the air show continued and planes roared overhead, investigators began setting up a grid system to organize the search for pieces of the wreckage.

The air show is scheduled to continue today.

Schaeffer said the plane crashed in an alfalfa field, but the wreckage was widely scattered. He estimated that parts of the plane were strewn over an area that measured about 75 by 220 yards. The crash occurred a few hundred yards from buildings in the industrial park, but they were not damaged.

The pilot was the only person in the plane and his body was removed from the wreckage. The person’s name will not be released until today because not all relatives had been notified as of Saturday night, but Schaeffer said “this portion” of the air show was not from the Quad-City area. Schaeffer also said he did not know the names of the two other pilots, both of whom landed safely.
Schaeffer had no information about what may have caused the crash.

The plane that crashed was a 1984 single-engine fixed-wing Aero Vodochody L-39C. That model was originally a military training jet, used mainly in Europe, Lunsford said. Over the years, a number of them have been purchased by private owners and used for weekend flying and for air shows, he said.

FAA records show that the plane, which had the tail number N139GS, is owned by the Warbird Education Foundation, based in Frisco, Texas. The plane was built in 1984 and has a turbo-jet engine. The foundation’s 2010 tax return said that Glenn Smith of Frisco is the organization’s president. David Mills of Moline is listed as a director. The return listed a 1984 Aero Vodochody L-39C with a fair market value of $550,000.

Mills also is a member of the Hoppers Flight Jet Team and was at the air show Saturday.
An L-39C crashed in May near Boulder City, Nev., killing two people, according to a report in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper. And a website for enthusiasts of the plane listed 20 crashes of the aircraft since 1998. The website said more than 2,800 of the aircraft were built and 300-plus were flying in private ownership. The plane was developed in Czechoslovakia and was used by the Soviet Union and eastern bloc countries, according to the site.

At the time of the police briefing Saturday afternoon, Schaeffer said there were a number of canisters scattered about the field with the valves broken off, raising the possibility of toxic fumes in the area. He said, however, that the fire department was on hand and authorities were ensuring the safety of the scene before officers began processing it.

Schaeffer said authorities would guard the crash scene at the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center throughout the night. Investigators are expected to return there this morning.

Six of the police department’s crime scene technicians were on the crash scene Saturday, as were many Scott County Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters. The large contingent of investigators walked the field, looking for debris. The plane’s ejection seat mechanism was found intact. The Quad-City Bomb Squad was called to the scene to detonate the explosives package that powers the ejection seat since it was believed to be a potential danger to anyone in the area.

Schaeffer said investigators who return to the field today will “identify the location of each piece of debris we find.”

“We’re going to photograph it and then remove it to a hangar at the airport,” he said. The crash site will be mapped using the police department’s crime scene mapping equipment.

“There are literally hundreds of pieces of debris scattered across the field,” he said. “We want to collect and catalog each piece so that if the FAA or some other investigating body wants to rebuild the plane, they can do it.”


Updated 3:44 p.m.: Davenport police and federal investigators were preparing to comb a field north of Interstate-80, where a retired military plane failed to come out of a 45-degree bank at the Quad-City Air Show and crashed about 1:25 p.m. today, killing the pilot, authorities said.

Assistant Davenport Police Chief Don Schaeffer briefed reporters about 3 p.m. Schaeffer said the plane went directly into the ground.

“He never had an opportunity to come out of it,” Schaeffer said.

Nobody on the ground was hurt by the crash.

The pilot was not identified and is “not from around here,” Schaefer said.

This afternoon, authorities were preparing to search what Schaeffer believed to be an alfalfa field for wreckage, but it was widely scattered. He estimated parts of the plane were strewn over an area that measured 75 yards to 220 yards.

Schaeffer had no information about what may have caused the crash. Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration were at the scene, but they did not take part in the briefing.

At the time of the briefing, Schaeffer said there were cannisters, presumably from the plane, that were scattered about the field with the valves broken off. He said the fire department was on hand, and that authorities were ensuring the safety of the scene before officers began processing it.

“So far, we’re in great shape,” he said.

Schaeffer said that authorities would be combing the field at the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center for much of the afternoon and would guard the site throughout the night. The crash investigation is expected to resume Sunday morning.

Updated: 3:23 p.m.: The pilot was killed, Davenport Assistant Police Chief Don Schaeffer said. The pilot’s name was not released, pending notification of his family.

Schaeffer indicated the flying team was not from the area and presumed the next of kin was not as well.

Updated 2:47 p.m.: A Soviet-era training jet flying in formation crashed and burst into flames at the Quad-City Air Show about 1:25 p.m. today.

The pilot is feared dead, and the rubble from the crash fell into a field at the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center in northern Davenport adjacent to Interstate 80.

Officials at the scene told spectators to not go to their cars because the area near the air show at the Davenport Municipal Airport in Mt. Joy was being cordoned off to let emergency vehicles in and out.

The other two L-39 fighter jets returned safely, and flights continued soon after the crash, according to witnesses at the scene.

Two other L-39 planes have crashed this year, according to a website devoted to the planes made in Czechoslovakia beginning in 1966. The site, L39.com, listed fatal crashes on May 18 in Boulder City, Nev., where two people were killed, and Jan. 20 in Rainbow City, Ala.

Earlier today, an official at the air show said flights would continue in the rain, but would be suspended if conditions became unsafe. The National Weather Service reported rain in the area, but no storm activity “within 50 miles miles of here all day,” according to meteorologist Brian Pierce at the National Weather Service in the Quad-Cities.

The airshow official earlier today said the Federal Aviation Administration was onsite and was overseeing the situation and making those decisions.

The L-39 website said that more than 2,800 were made and that an “unknown number” are still in military service, and 300 are “flying in private ownership.”

Updated 2:08 p.m.: A plane at the Quad-City Air Show crashed into the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center in northern Davenport about 1:23 p.m. today.

There is a preliminary report that one person was killed.

Officials at the scene told spectators to not go to their cars because the area near the air show at the Davenport Municipal Airport in Mt. Joy was being cordoned off to let emergency vehicles in and out.

Flights continued soon after the crash, according to witnesses at the scene.

Earlier today, an official at the air show said flights would continue in the rain, but would be suspended if conditions became unsafe. The National Weather Service reported rain in the area, but no storm activity “within 50 miles miles of here all day,” according to meteorologist Brian Pierce at the National Weather Service in the Quad-Cities.

The airshow official earlier today said the Federal Aviation Administration was onsite and was overseeing the situation and making those decisions.

Posted 1:35 p.m.: A plane at the Quad-City Air Show crashed into the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center about 1:23 p.m.

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