5) Buzzing / acro
16 fatal accidents on record
This happens mostly during day VMC conditions where the goal is low passes, photo passes, persons watching, STOL operations, or aerobatic practice. Unseen obstacles such as guy wires, transmission lines, towers, often are the first point of contact. Inexperienced and unqualified pilots attempting acrobatic flight for the first time, or attempting acrobatic maneuvers too close to the surface area, or disorientation during high G maneuvers often cause fatal impact with the terrain. Numerous fatal accidents have been caused by attempted loop maneuvers that were started too low and cannot be completed before impact, or attempted roll maneuvers that went wrong too low.
Trend
- Accidents per quarter
- Rolling 12-month average
| Period | Accidents | Rolling 12-month average per quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | 1 | 1.5 |
| Q2 2025 | 2 | 1.5 |
| Q3 2025 | 1 | 1.3 |
| Q4 2025 | 2 | 1.5 |
| Q1 2026 | 0 | 1.3 |
| Q2 2026 | 3 | 1.5 |
| Q3 2026 | 2 | 1.8 |
| Q4 2026 QTD | 0 | 1.5 |
Lessons
Short reads from the DTSB lesson library for this category.
No lessons for this category yet.
Practice scenarios
What to practice to keep this from happening to you. Fly drills with a qualified instructor at a safe altitude, or in a simulator.
No practice scenarios for this category yet.
Recent accidents in this category
Van’s RV-4 | N469TW
5) Buzzing / acroTag Aviation Titanium Explorer | N665TE
5) Buzzing / acroNorth American P-51D | N251CS
5) Buzzing / acroCessna 182T | N227TF
5) Buzzing / acroSling LSA | N166TW
5) Buzzing / acroJabiru J230-SP | N755J
5) Buzzing / acro