THE DTSB
The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the accident pilot was observed performing low level aerobatics in anticipation of an upcoming scheduled airshow appearance in the same aircraft, and did maneuver the aircraft at too low of an altitude in such a way as to cause the crash.
This excerpt from the NTSB Preliminary report: “According to witnesses, the pilot was practicing an aerobatic routine. At the conclusion of the planned maneuvers, the pilot performed an additional maneuver and the airplane impacted terrain. Witnesses reported that the engine sounded normal before they heard the sound of
impact. One witness, who was in a nearby hangar, reported seeing flying debris after he heard the sound of impact. A witness captured the accident sequence on a cellular phone video. According to a witness and the video, the airplane was seen climbing while conducting a maneuver consistent with a Split-S. While inverted, the airplane entered a dive and continued
toward the ground in a nose low attitude. The airplane started a bank to the right just before impacting terrain in a nose level, right-wing-low attitude. The engine is heard throughout the entire video up to the sound of impact.”