Yakovlev YAK-54 N354AM

Summary

On 26 July 1998 at about 19:09 local time, a Yakovlev YAK-54 registered N354AM, operated by David J. McCloud, was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 July 1998 at 19:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.1601, -149.9895

Aircraft

Yakovlev YAK-54

Registration

N354AM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

David J. McCloud

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC98FA110

2 people died.

The pilot's inadequate remedial action to recover from an inverted spin, while performing aerobatics. Contributing factors were the lower than recommended entry altitude for a spin and the pilot's lack of familiarity with the accident airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger, flying a Russian built unlimited class aerobatic airplane, joined a second aerobatic airplane for a planned photo flight. The two airplanes flew alongside each other while the passengers took photographs. The photo flight altitudes varied between 2,600 and 3,400 feet msl. After the photo session was completed, the pilot of the accident airplane stated he was going to demonstrate some aerobatic maneuvers to his passenger. During a turn, the pilot of the second airplane momentarily lost sight of the accident airplane. When he regained sight of the accident airplane, he estimated it was between 2,700 to 3,000 feet msl, in what appeared to be an inverted right spin. The spin continued for between 5 to 7 turns until the airplane collided with trees. The accident airplane was being operated in the United States under an experimental/exhibition airworthiness certificate. It has light control forces, and a roll rate of 340 degrees per second. No preimpact mechanical malfunction was found. The pilot was an active U.S. Air Force Lt. General with extensive military experience. He had accrued 16.6 hours in the accident airplane. According to his logbook, he had practiced several aerobatic manuevers in the airplane, including incipient inverted spins, and inverted and upright flat spins. The accident pilot and passenger had previously flown aerobatic airplanes together. The passenger had competed in aerobatic airplanes in the past. He did not have any experience in the accident airplane. The airplane flight manual recommends an altitude of 1,500 meters (4,922 feet) prior to initiating spins.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.