History of Flight
On April 5, 2009, at 1325 eastern daylight time, an experimental Curtiss Wright P-40N, registration N740RB, collided with the Atlantic Ocean approximately one-quarter mile off the shore of Mastic Beach, New York. The flight, which was personal and conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, had departed Brookhaven Airport (HWV) in Shirley, New York, at 1309. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot's son, who was acting as a safety guide from the beach with a handheld radio, stated that the purpose of the flight was to practice aerobatics as part of an airshow team. He reported that all communications with the accident airplane were normal. The airplane entered a half Cuban eight maneuver at an estimated 250 to 260 mph. During the middle of the Cuban eight, it entered a spin. The pilot's son estimated the airplane had slowed to 100 to 120 mph, which he described as too slow, and lacked sufficient altitude to recover before impacting the water.
A former Army fighter pilot witness described a similar sequence, noting that the airplane did not complete an attempted Immelman turn and instead went off on one wing, making four to five revolutions before hitting the ocean. Another witness observed tight turns and a flip, with the airplane spiraling toward the water. A fourth witness reported that at the apex of a loop, the aircraft dropped straight down nose first.
Pilot Information
A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records showed that the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. A second-class medical certificate was issued on January 14, 2009, at which time the pilot reported 2,300 hours of flight experience.
Aircraft Information
According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1944. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on March 20, 2009, at 1,469 total aircraft hours.
Meteorological Information
At 1256, the reported weather at Brookhaven Airport, located 5 miles north of the accident site, included clear skies, 10 miles visibility, and wind from 310 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 26 knots. The temperature was 13 degrees Celsius, and the dew point was -1 degree Celsius.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was observed by an FAA inspector from a boat, as it remained submerged. It had not yet been recovered and was not examined.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for Suffolk County, New York, performed an autopsy on the pilot, which indicated that the pilot died as a result of blunt force trauma. Toxicological testing by the FAA’s Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected amlodipine in the pilot's muscle and tissue. The pilot's most recent medical certificate application noted high blood pressure well controlled on Lotrel (amlodipine/benazepril).
Additional Information
The pilot was issued an FAA Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (FAA Form 711-1) to perform aerobatics in a defined box off the coast of Mastic Beach on April 3, 2009. An FAA inspector stated in a written report that the pilot failed to file a Notice to Airman (NOTAM) and did not notify the controlling air traffic facility to activate the box prior to beginning aerobatic activity, as required by the waiver.