Carpenter Bj/Carpenter Sa GLASAIR II-S FT N540FT

Summary

On 12 February 2006 at about 19:30 local time, a Carpenter Bj/Carpenter Sa GLASAIR II-S FT registered N540FT was involved in an accident near Roseville, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died. One person on the ground also died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 February 2006 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Roseville, California, United States

Coordinates

38.7697, -121.3256

Aircraft

Carpenter Bj/Carpenter Sa GLASAIR II-S FT

Registration

N540FT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lincoln → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX06LA110

2 people died, including 1 on the ground.

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while performing low level aerobatics that led to a stall/spin.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft was performing low level aerobatics over a residential area when it stalled and crashed into a single family residence. The accident site was located 2 blocks from the passenger's residence. A family member of the passenger stated that they heard the airplane pass overhead, but when they got outside the airplane had disappeared. They heard it approaching again but it crashed before it arrived over the house. Two pilots who were located at the departure airport spoke with the aircraft occupants shortly before the aircraft departed on the accident flight. The witnesses said the passenger told them that he and the other pilot were "going to show you guys what flying is about." Several of the witnesses were on a nearby golf course and other witnesses were in the residential area surrounding the accident site. All of the witnesses said the airplane was performing aerobatics at altitudes they described as between 200 and 800 feet above the ground. Several of the witnesses described specific maneuvers. They reported that on the first pass the airplane was traveling at high speed and it entered a series of "barrel rolls" before pulling up into a climb and banking steeply to reverse course. On the last pass, the airplane completed the roll series, then it pulled up and began climbing and banking. The witnesses said the airplane then stalled and entered a "nose dive" while it was "spinning or spiraling" until it crashed into the house. Examination of the wreckage found no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.