Siai-Marchetti SF-260 N601RH

Summary

On 6 April 2008 at about 21:56 local time, a Siai-Marchetti SF-260 registered N601RH, operated by Ace Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Belfast, Maine, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 April 2008 at 21:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Belfast, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Belfast Municipal Airport (BST)

Coordinates

44.3964, -68.9619

Aircraft

Siai-Marchetti SF-260

Registration

N601RH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ace Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Belfast → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

NTSB number

NYC08FA155

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation during an aerobatic maneuver.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Just after departure from the airport, the airplane was observed by several witnesses performing a "lazy barrel roll" over a bay. After the first "barrel roll" the airplane was observed starting to perform a climb toward an overcast cloud layer. One eyewitness observed the airplane begin a second maneuver and as it was "still upside down," the nose of the airplane pointed down to the water and disappeared from view. Another eyewitness had turned his back when he assumed the airplane was going into the overcast cloud layer; however, he and several other witnesses heard the "loudest bang" that sounded similar to an engine "back fire." Due to the depths of the water and the size of the debris area, the airplane was not recovered; however, the wreckage was video-taped on the bottom of the bay. Deformation of the wing spars indicated positive high g-loading just prior to impact. The Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 60-4A states in part, "Surface references and the natural horizon may at times become obscured, although visibility may be above visual flight rule minimums. Lack of natural horizon or surface reference is common on overwater flights…" Witness accounts of the accident suggest the pilot became disoriented while performing the aerobatic maneuvers over the water and in proximity to the clouds.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.