History of Flight
On February 26, 2011, about 1335 eastern standard time, a British Aircraft Corporation BAC 167 Strikemaster, N167SM, crashed into the Hudson River after an in-flight loss of airplane control near Kingston, New York. The experimental airplane was registered to and operated by Dragon Aviation Inc. under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The private pilot was killed. The flight originated at John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, about 1235.
According to a representative for Dragon Aviation, the pilot was flying the airplane to Columbia County Airport (1B1), Hudson, New York, with his permission. The purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane from Smyrna, Tennessee to Hudson, with a fuel stop at Johnstown planned. While at Johnstown, the pilot purchased fuel and telephoned friends to inform them that he would be flying over Kingston-Ulster Airport (20N). After calling his position on the airport Unicom frequency, he reportedly flew over the airfield and performed a rolling maneuver, described by witnesses as a roll or a barrel roll. Following the rolling maneuver, the airplane remained in the traffic pattern and the pilot executed a second pass down the centerline of runway 15 at low altitude with the landing gear retracted. Following the low pass, the pilot reportedly pulled the airplane up to a nose-high attitude and initiated a left-hand turn. During the turn, the airplane nose dropped and the airplane entered a descending turn until it impacted the river.
A friend of the pilot was on the ramp at 20N and videotaped the airplane in flight. A review of the video revealed that the airplane overflew the runway at low altitude with the landing gear retracted, then pitched up and entered a steep left-hand bank. The nose dropped and the airplane entered a descending spiral until it disappeared below the horizon. The sound of a turbine engine was heard until the sound of an impact.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single engine, multi-engine, and instrument airplane privileges. He received a type rating in the BAC 167 on December 12, 2010. The temporary airman certificate for his BAC 167 type rating included the restriction: VFR Only. An examination of the pilot’s logbook revealed that he had logged about 1,187 hours total time, including 20.6 hours in the BAC 167.
The pilot’s family provided training records documenting 12 flights in the BAC 167 between June 5, 2010 and November 13, 2010. According to the records, the pilot performed loops, barrel rolls, split-s maneuvers, and Cuban eights, achieving a proficient grade with the loop, barrel roll, and split-s. He also received proficient grades in airwork including stalls, flight at slow speed, steep turns, and recovery from unusual attitudes.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a single-engine attack jet, manufactured in 1969, equipped with a Rolls Royce Viper 535 turbojet engine. Maintenance records indicated that an approved inspection program inspection was performed on February 18, 2011, at Smyrna Air Center, Smyrna, Tennessee at an airplane and engine total time of 3502.8 hours.
Meteorological Information
The 1353 weather observation for Poughkeepsie, New York (POU), located about 21 miles south of 20N, included: surface winds from 250 degrees at 7 knots, clouds broken at 10,000 feet, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 2 degrees Celsius, dew point minus 10 degrees Celsius, and altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located in the Hudson River in ice-covered, shallow water at coordinates 41°58.85'N, 073°56.820'W. After recovery, an examination on February 28, 2011 did not reveal evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure. All major structural components were located. The main wreckage consisted of the forward fuselage, cockpit, engine, and a majority of the left wing. All internal wing, wing tip, and under wing drop fuel tanks were breached. The engine remained attached to the fuselage; the single-stage turbine was partially protruding with blades bent opposite the direction of rotation. All three landing gear were found retracted.
The cockpit and forward fuselage were crushed forward. Ejection seats were separated but held together by stainless steel tubing; the seat rocket motors were intentionally inert. The nose gear was observed inside the wheel well. Several cockpit instruments were loose. The airspeed indicator registered about 170 knots, engine RPM indicator about 57 percent, engine temperature indicator about 505 degrees C. The thrust lever was broken from its mount, with the lever arm bent at a reduced (aft) thrust position.
The right wing separated at the wing root. The right flap separated from the inboard wing section, and the right main landing gear remained inside the wheel well. The right aileron separated and was buckled. Tip, drop, and internal bladder fuel tanks were breached. All observed flap and aileron connections exhibited overload failures.
The majority of the left wing remained attached by cables; the spar separated at the wing root. The left flap separated and was bent with leading edge crushing and skin buckling. The left main landing gear remained in the wheel well. The left aileron remained attached but was bent, crushed, and exhibited 45-degree buckling on upper skin surfaces. Fuel tanks were breached. All observed connections to flap and aileron exhibited overload failures.
The left and right horizontal stabilizers remained attached to each other integral with the stainless steel engine exhaust cone. The left horizontal stabilizer leading edge was crushed aft and up throughout its length. The left elevator had minor impact damage; the left elevator trim tab was positioned approximately 10 degrees tab down, with the trim actuator rod attached and not bent. The inboard section of the right horizontal stabilizer leading edge was crushed aft and up along half its length; the outboard leading edge exhibited minor impact damage. The right elevator trim tab was positioned approximately 10 degrees tab down, with downward bending on the trailing edge of the right elevator.
The vertical stabilizer separated from the empennage and was crushed aft throughout its length, bowed to the right as viewed from aft. The rudder separated from the vertical stabilizer and exhibited minor impact damage more pronounced at the upper end. The rudder trim tab was displaced about 30 degrees tab left, with leading edge crushing more pronounced at the lower end.