On October 27, 1991, a Beech A36 (registration N7246H) operated by Rex L. & Kathleen A Repass was involved in an aviation accident near Marble Falls, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S PERFORMANCE OF ACROBATIC MANEUVERS AT AN ALTITUDE TOO LOW TO ALLOW FOR RECOVERY. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A 49-year-old private pilot and his 27-year-old brother-in-law, an active-duty USAF aviator, experienced an accident after performing a wingover maneuver with insufficient altitude to recover from a dive.
Incident Overview
A 49-year-old private pilot and his 27-year-old brother-in-law were flying together for the first time when their airplane crashed after performing a maneuver. The aircraft impacted the ground at approximately 45 degrees nose-low, and the wreckage path extended 350 feet.
Pilot and Passenger Details
The pilot was a retired Navy flight surgeon with 221 hours logged as a private pilot. His passenger was a rated aviator on active duty with the United States Air Force, who had recently completed a combat tour flying KC-135 tanker aircraft during Operation Desert Storm.
Sequence of Events
The flight involved several passes over a scenic area. Witnesses observed the airplane execute a maneuver commonly referred to as a 'wingover'. According to observers, the maneuver was performed without sufficient altitude to recover from the ensuing dive.
Wreckage
The wreckage path from the point of impact was 350 feet long. The impact attitude was about 45 degrees nose-low.