Aero Vodochody L-39C N901NL

Summary

On 10 February 2001 at about 18:00 local time, a Aero Vodochody L-39C registered N901NL was involved in an accident near Pecan Island, Louisiana, 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

10 February 2001 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Pecan Island, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.3750, -92.3994

Aircraft

Aero Vodochody L-39C

Registration

N901NL

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lafayette → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW01FA063

2 people died.

the pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from terrain while performing low level aerobatics. A factor was fatigue.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The tandem seat experimental jet aircraft impacted terrain while performing low level aerobatics. Witnesses observed the airplane flying inverted over the pilot's hunting camp just prior to ground impact. No anomalies were found with the airframe or engine during examination of the wreckage. Partial disassembly of the engine revealed that it was operating at the time of the accident. According to radar records and a statement provided by an FAA inspector, the pilot had flown "vigorous" aerobatic flight sequences in a different airplane several hours prior to the accident flight. The two types of aircraft flown on the day of the accident had dissimilar flight envelopes, configurations, sight pictures, and relative speeds. An FAA inspector, who had given the pilot aerobatic instruction in the past, stated that the pilot could have been impaired during the accident flight due to "acute fatigue" from the aerobatic flights he flew earlier on the day of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.