British Aircraft Corp BAC 167 STRIKEMASTER N167SM accident near Kingston, New York

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the accident airplane.

NTSB analysis

According to witnesses and corroborated by a video, the pilot performed a rolling maneuver over the runway before returning for a second pass of the runway at an airport that he told his friends he would be flying over. The second pass was flown at a low altitude with the gear retracted. Following the low pass, the pilot abruptly pitched the nose up and entered a steep left turn. The nose of the airplane dropped, and the airplane entered a descending spiral and crashed into a river. The sound of the engine was heard continuously on the video of the flight until the airplane crashed. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot had logged about 21 hours in the airplane and had obtained a type rating in the airplane about 2 1/2 months prior to the accident. His training in the airplane make and model included aerobatic maneuvers, stalls, and recovery from unusual attitudes. The airplane’s owner was not aware that the pilot was planning to perform aerobatic maneuvers and further stated that he would never have approved the pilot to perform solo aerobatics in his airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA11FA165 for the full record.