On July 4, 1992, a Luscombe 8E (registration N2264K) operated by Harold L. Moore & Brian Teubel was involved in an aviation accident near Napoleon, ND. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ABOVE A STALL. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A private pilot performing a loop or Immelmann turn in a newly acquired aircraft lost control during the inverted phase, resulting in a ground collision.
What happened
A private pilot operated a recently purchased aircraft for local sightseeing flights over an airport. The flight included rides for bystanders on the ground. During the final segment of the operation, witnesses observed the aircraft executing an aerobatic maneuver consistent with either a loop or an Immelmann turn.
The aircraft climbed to an inverted position as part of this maneuver. However, it fell out of the intended flight path and began to turn counter-clockwise. The aircraft completed two full counter-clockwise rotations before impacting the ground.