History of Flight
On June 22, 2013, at 1247 eastern daylight time, a Boeing IB75A, N450JW, impacted terrain at the Dayton International Airport (KDAY), Dayton, Ohio. The commercial pilot and wing walker were both fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by Jane Wicker Airshows under 14 CFR Part 91 as an airshow performance. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from KDAY about 1235.
The flight was performing for the 2013 Vectren Dayton Air Show. The performance was the fourth act scheduled on June 22. Video and photos from spectators captured the airplane during the performance. The evidence showed the airplane completed a left "tear drop" style turn as the wing walker positioned herself on the lower left wing. The airplane then rolled left to fly inverted. While flying from the southwest to the northeast in front of the spectators, the airplane's nose pitched slightly above the horizon. The airplane then abruptly rolled to the right and impacted terrain in a left wing low attitude. A post impact fire ensued and consumed a majority of the right wing and forward portion of the fuselage.
Statements from the NTSB and FAA indicated that the pilot and wing walker had practiced the performance the day prior. Following practice, neither reported any mechanical anomalies with the airplane to the air show crew.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 64, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, airplane single engine sea, and glider. On August 30, 2012, he was issued a second class medical certificate with the restriction that he must wear corrective lenses. He reported use of Lisinopril and Triamterene to control hypertension. On September 16, 2012, he was issued a statement of acrobatic competency, authorizing solo aerobatics, wing walker maneuvers, and "circle the jumper" with a level 1 restricted altitude limitation in all variants of the Extra 300, Boeing Stearman, and Pitts Special. His log book showed 1,190 hours total, 95 hours in make and model, and about 11 hours in N450JW. He did not log flights from October 20, 2012, until April 13, 2013. From April 13, 2013, he logged 16 hours total, 4.5 hours in make and model, and about 1.5 hours in N450JW. His last airshow with the accident wing walker was August 21, 2012.
The pilot practiced the aerial routine the day prior without incident. He consumed about 1.5 beers during dinner with the crew the night prior between 1900-2100. The next morning, the crew ate breakfast at 0745-0830; the pilot ate a bagel with cream cheese. At 1100 he ate lunch. Throughout the day, the crew recalled the pilot stayed out of the sun and was drinking water. Prior to flight, he sat in an air conditioned truck for at least 10 minutes. His behavior was described as normal.
The wing walker, age 45, held a commercial pilot certificate for airplane single engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. She had about 6 years of experience and had been performing the planned routine for the previous 3 years. She was also the owner of the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The Boeing-Stearman IB75A, serial number 75-789, was manufactured in 1941 as a model A75N1. In 1950, modifications changed the model type to IB75A. A 450-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 fuel-injected engine drove a two bladed, metal, Hamilton Standard 2D30 propeller. On December 8, 2009, the pilot purchased the airplane. On May 3, 2010, it was registered under the experimental exhibition category. On September 26, 2011, it was last registered under the restricted category for wing walking. The airplane was modified with an inverted fuel and oil system, and a four aileron system.
A combined 100 hour and annual inspection were accomplished on April 23, 2013, at a tachometer time of 260.7 hours, and 597.5 hours since the engine's last major overhaul.
Meteorological Information
Weather at the time of the accident was wind from 220 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 9 miles, a broken ceiling at 3,500 feet, temperature 86°F, dew point 72°F, and a barometric pressure of 30.18 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
The air show airspace was orientated along runway 6L/24R. The scheduled wing walking performance was flown by the accident pilot with events performed by the wing walker. The designated airshow area was 12,000 feet long and 2,700 feet wide. The accident airplane was assigned to the Category III performance area with a 500 foot airspace buffer between the performance and spectators. The wreckage came to rest over 500 feet from the fence line within the assigned performance area. The airport's elevation is 1,009 feet. Using the barometric pressure, the pilot would have set about 29.09 to achieve a reading of 0 feet on the airplane's altimeter.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The crash site was a grass area south of the intersection of taxiway R and taxiway Z. The debris field followed a 050° heading and was about 145 feet long. The first ground scars were two parallel scars consistent with the left wing's impact. About 40 feet from the beginning of the ground scars was the impact crater, 11 feet long, 6 feet wide, and at least 13 inches deep. The main wreckage came to rest 105 feet from the impact crater.
A postaccident examination by the NTSB and FAA found rudder and elevator control continuity from the rudder to the aft seat rudder pedals and the elevator to the control stick. The aileron controls were broken and torn in multiple locations, with breaks and tear patterns identified on each opposite surface. Thermal damage was sustained to the right aileron's connecting rod from the inboard connector to the outboard hinge, but each rod end remained attached and secured.
Cockpit instrumentation sustained minor damage. Readings included: altimeter 300 feet, Kollmans window 29.09, manifold pressure 30 inches, tachometer hour 284.9.
The two metal propeller blades displayed leading edge polishing, nicks and gouges, and chordwise scratches. Blade A had curled rearward from mid-span to tip. Blade B displayed an S-bend along its entire length. Cylinders number 2, 3, and 4 were separated from the engine. No preimpact anomalies were detected with the airframe or engine.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the pilot by the Montgomery County Coroner's Office ruled the cause of death as multiple trauma and the manner as accident. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. Triamterene was detected in urine and blood; its use was previously reported to the FAA.
Tests and Research
Several videos and photographs of the accident sequence were taken by spectators. The description of flight control deflections uses the airplane's upright orientation without reversing direction when inverted.
The accident maneuver began with the pilot climbing away from the crowd to allow the wing walker to position herself under the right lower wing. During the teardrop turn, the airplane aligned parallel to and behind the Category III show line. At 8 seconds prior to impact, the airplane pitched nose up and began a left roll. As it rolled left through 45°, right rudder was applied and remained deflected right. At 6 seconds prior to impact, the airplane rolled through 90°, with elevator near neutral and slight downward deflection, and right rudder. The airplane did not reach a completely inverted position, stopping about 150° of roll. At 2 seconds prior to impact, nearly inverted, ailerons deflected to command a right roll, elevator deflected upward trailing edge up, and the airplane pitched toward the ground in a descending right roll. Control inputs continued until impact.
A video study selected five videos based on location, duration, and image quality. It showed the accident maneuver began with the airplane flying away from the crowd in a climbing teardrop turn. As it turned toward the crowd, it began descending. About 9 seconds prior to impact, the airplane pitched up and rolled left. It passed 90° of roll at 6 seconds prior, with elevator slightly trailing edge down. The roll continued to about 156° (24° short of fully inverted). About 1.86 seconds prior, elevator was neutral, rudder deflected trailing edge right. The airplane's flightpath was toward hangers and a parked Boeing 757. About 1.40 seconds prior, elevator deflected trailing edge up, rudder still trailing edge right. The airplane pitched toward the ground at about 55° per second. About 0.10 second later, the lower left wing aileron deflected trailing edge down, and the airplane rolled right as it pitched. Groundspeed reduced from about 106 knots to 84 knots in the final 2 seconds.
Airspeed calculations correcting for wind gave true airspeed from about 96 to 74 knots, calibrated airspeed from about 92 to 71 knots. The maneuver's target airspeed was reported to be 110 mph.
Additional Information
The wing walker's ex-husband, one of her regular pilots, estimated he flew the accident routine 300-350 times. He described the planned "On Top of the World" maneuver: after a 270° re-positioning turn at 70-80 mph, the pilot adds power, dives to at least 100 mph, pitches 25-30° nose high, and rolls inverted, stabilizing at 110 mph and 150 feet AGL. Power is reduced to about 1/3 throttle. To exit, the pilot pushes the stick forward to get the nose above the horizon and rolls left to maintain positive G.
Reviewing the accident video, he stated the re-position turn was shallow with little climb, the airplane didn't gain much airspeed, the dive angle was low, the wing walker extended later than normal, the pitch up was lower than normal, and the airplane never got fully inverted. The roll stopped short with bank toward the crowd line. He perceived a moment when descent was arrested. He described the subsequent right roll as a quick reaction, perhaps due to a perceived collision conflict with a parked airplane or other obstruction.
On the day of the accident, a parked Boeing 757-200 on runway 36/18 was located over 700 feet behind the spectator line, about 0.3 miles east-southeast of the accident site. Several aircraft hangers and buildings ranging 35-50 feet were about 0.5 miles east-southeast to south.
During the morning prebrief, a crew member overheard the wing walker comment that the pilot did not reduce power enough prior to her positioning. The pilot listened closely and appeared deep in thought afterward.
Emergency response: Two ARFF vehicles were prepositioned. Vehicle 23 arrived 1 minute 5 seconds after impact and extinguished the main fire within 20 seconds. Vehicle 22 arrived 1.5 minutes later.