THE DTSB
The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the pilot was performing aerobatics too low to the ground. The aircraft entered an inverted flat spin and could not recover prior to impact.
Aviat S-1-11B | N5111B
- DTSB analysis published
Key facts
- DateSeptember 23, 2024
- Local time1:55 PM
- LightDay
- WeatherVMC
- Phase of flightManeuvering
- People on board1
- Fatalities1
- NTSB numberERA24FA391
- NTSB statusUnder investigation
Accident Location
- City, State
- Chapmansboro, Tennessee
- Latitude
- 36.312316
- Longitude
- -87.15672
Aircraft Info
- N Number
- N5111B
- Make
- Aviat
- Model
- S-1-11B
- Category / Class
- Aircraft Single Engine Land
- Amateur Built
- No
Pilot Info
- Pilot in command
- Darrel S. Whittaker
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 51
- Total hours
- 3968
- Certification
- Airline Transport Pilot
- IFR rating
- Yes
- Medical
- 1st Class Medical
- Flight school
- No
- Instructional flight
- No
Analysis
- Weather
- VMC
- Time of day
- Day
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Pilot error
- Yes
- Pilot incapacitation
- No
- People on board
- 1
- PIC fatality
- 1
- Total fatalities
- 1
- NTSB number
- ERA24FA391
- NTSB travel
- Unknown
- AQP category
- 5) BUZZING / ACRO →
Probable Cause
NTSB
The NTSB determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
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.
Recommendation
THE DTSB
The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all aerobatic aircraft establish safe operating floors which would be sufficiently high enough to be able to recover from inadvertent aerodynamic scenarios, which may take some time to get out of.
NTSB
None issued. NTSB recommendations are rare and usually tied to high-profile accidents.
See the NTSB Recommendation Tracker →