History of Flight
On May 14, 2016, at about 1647 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Pitts S-2SW, registration N24CD, collided with terrain during an aerial display at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK), Atlanta, Georgia. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The airplane was registered to a corporation and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as an air show flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from PDK about 1642.
The pilot was performing air show maneuvers as part of a flight of two with another pilot flying an MX2. The MX2 pilot reported that they had practiced the routine the day before and extensively briefed the show routine before the flight, including walking through the maneuvers. After uneventful departures, they joined in formation with the Pitts in the lead. The routine began with a 'switch break' and a crossing maneuver near show center at 30 to 50 ft agl.
After the crossing, the MX2 pilot called for a half Cuban-8 to position both airplanes on 45º down angles toward show center. The MX2 pilot pulled harder and positioned himself quicker. As he rolled out, he expected the Pitts to be on the show line to his left, but the Pitts was still above him on the 45º down line and well to his right. He observed the Pitts pilot make a sharp bank to the right, and the airplane passed under him. The MX2 pilot did not see the impact.
The MX2 pilot suggested the Pitts pilot may have inadvertently used the center of runway 21L as the show line instead of the marked barrels between runways 21L and 21R. A witness reported strong winds from the west that may have blown the Pitts too far to the east. Spectator videos showed the Pitts rolled 1½ times to the left after the top of the Cuban-8, then wings rocked before entering a descending right bank that leveled off just before impact. The lower left wing appeared to hit first.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine land, single-engine land, and instrument ratings, along with a second-class medical certificate dated June 17, 2015, with no restrictions. He was the builder of the airplane and held a repairman certificate for it. His logbook showed about 1,963 hours of flight time as of April 26, 2016. He completed a flight review on May 2, 2015. He obtained an FAA Statement of Aerobatic Competency (SAC) on May 17, 2014, limited to solo aerobatics and 'circle the jumper' maneuvers, and updated it on July 11, 2015, to include solo and formation aerobatics.
Aircraft Information
The single-engine, single-seat bi-wing airplane was fitted with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and a Lycoming AEIO-540-FBAE engine rated at 325 horsepower. It was manufactured by the pilot in 2014. A condition inspection was completed on July 24, 2015, at 106.7 hours total airframe time.
Meteorological Information
At 1653, about 6 minutes after the accident, PDK reported few clouds at 7,000 ft, visibility 10 statute miles or greater, and surface wind from 290º at 17 knots with gusts to 25 knots. Wind at 1645 was from 290º at 17 knots gusting to 21 knots; at 1650 from 280º at 17 knots gusting to 25 knots. At 1647, the two-minute average wind speed was 17 knots with gusts to 25 knots.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted the grass infield between runways 21L and 21R. The debris field was about 500 ft long, oriented on a heading of 235°. The main wreckage consisted of fuselage, empennage, and right wing; a postcrash fire consumed most of it. A parachute was found in the cockpit seat with no indication of deployment. The left wing separated during impact and was not burned. Flight control continuity was confirmed; all fractures showed overstress signatures. The fuel tank was breached; residual fuel was present. Wooden propeller blades were separated and splintered. Engine continuity was confirmed; compression and suction were observed on all cylinders. Spark plugs showed normal wear except No. 1 had black soot. Both magnetos produced spark. The fuel injection servo separated; throttle and mixture arms were intact. The airflow section was about 75% obstructed with dried mud. The fuel flow divider was clean with residual fuel; injectors were unobstructed. The engine-driven fuel pump pumped fuel when operated manually.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot had reported no chronic conditions or medications at his last FAA medical exam. An autopsy determined cause of death as blunt trauma, manner accident. It documented 40-50% focal luminal obstruction of coronary arteries without thrombi or plaque hemorrhage, and no evidence of myocardial ischemic damage. Toxicological testing detected ibuprofen, diphenhydramine, dextromethorphan, dextrorphan, pseudoephedrine, and ephedrine in urine; pseudoephedrine and ephedrine were also found in cavity blood. No blood levels of impairing substances were noted.