History of Flight
On August 27, 2016, about 1425 Pacific daylight time, a Boeing Stearman A75N1 (PT-17), registration N999PP, was destroyed when it struck runway 34 during an aerial demonstration at Madras Municipal Airport (S33), Madras, Oregon. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The airplane was owned by Unusual Attitudes, LLC and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the exhibition flight.
The pilot was one of several civilian performers at the two-day "Airshow of the Cascades," which included static and aerial displays. According to the FAA, the event took place Friday evening and Saturday, August 26–27. The pilot flew the accident airplane in a practice session Friday morning and again during a public demonstration later that evening around 2000; both flights were uneventful.
The accident occurred on the second day of the event. Witnesses observed the airplane take off from runway 34, lift off, and remain level just above the runway before climbing to perform an inside loop. The airplane descended inverted from the top of the loop to a pitch attitude of about 10–20° nose-down, continuing in that attitude until it hit terrain adjacent to the runway edge. Witnesses reported no abnormal engine sounds; the engine appeared to produce power from takeoff to impact. Video footage showed the pilot performing an inside loop and descending into terrain.
Another aerial performer heard the pilot request the temperature and density altitude from the Air Boss before departure; the Air Boss estimated 81°F and a density altitude of about 4,600 ft. The performer noted that during the previous evening's practice, he observed the same maneuver and described it as "sketchy" due to the low altitude at which the pilot completed the loop. The pilot had explained the maneuver to him as a "complete crapshoot," where at the top of the loop he would decide whether to pull through or execute a recovery aerobatic maneuver.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for single- and multi-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane, as well as flight instructor ratings for single- and multi-engine airplane and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on June 28, 2016; on that application, he reported 10,000 total flight hours with 300 hours in the previous 6 months.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a single-engine, two-place open-cockpit biplane manufactured by Boeing Airplane Company in 1941. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-985 air-cooled, 9-cylinder radial engine with a 2-bladed variable-pitch propeller. The fuselage and empennage were synthetic fabric-covered steel tube; the wings were primarily wood structure covered with similar fabric. The airplane had two tandem open cockpits; the pilot flew from the aft cockpit. The most recent annual inspection was completed on April 20, 2016, at a total aircraft time of 1,271.0 hours.
Meteorological Information
The 1429 automated weather observation at S33 reported wind from 330° at 9 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 34°C, dew point 2°C, and altimeter 29.91 inches of mercury. The calculated density altitude was about 5,221 ft. The day before, during the pilot's successful similar maneuver, the 1956 weather observation showed calm wind, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 22°C, dew point -4°C, and altimeter 29.89 inches of mercury, yielding a density altitude of about 3,890 ft.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located adjacent to runway 34 about 3,400 ft from the approach threshold. The first point of contact was followed by an approximately 120-ft-long debris path ending at the main wreckage. The forward right fuselage, engine cowling, and upper and lower right wings were consumed by post-impact fire. All major structural components were accounted for, and there was no evidence of pre-impact engine, flight control, or airframe anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office autopsy report listed the cause of death as "multiple blunt force injuries." FAA toxicology tests detected no carbon monoxide, ethanol, or screened drugs of abuse in specimens from the pilot.