History of Flight
On December 17, 2020, at about 1629 central standard time, an Extra EA300 airplane, registered N102JK, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain near Aledo, Texas. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
According to recorded data from an onboard Garmin device, the airplane departed Bourland Field (50F) near Cresson, Texas, at 1609. Approximately five minutes later, a Van's RV-4 airplane departed from the same airport, and the two aircraft formed a loose formation flying at altitudes between 2,400 and 3,200 ft mean sea level (msl). Around 1625, the pilots coordinated to separate. The RV-4 pilot descended to land at 50F, while the accident pilot climbed to about 5,300 ft msl (approximately 4,200 ft above ground level) to practice aerobatic maneuvers.
Flight track data indicated that the Extra 300 performed aerobatic maneuvers between about 1625 and 1628. At 1628:16, the last recorded GPS data placed the airplane over the accident site at 4,641 ft msl. Four seconds later, the final Mode S transponder return showed the airplane had descended to 4,300 ft msl (about 3,200 ft agl). The airplane subsequently impacted terrain approximately 3.5 miles northwest of 50F at an elevation of 1,086 ft msl.
Personnel Information
The pilot was a highly experienced aviator who flew A-10 aircraft for the U.S. Air Force and also served as an airline pilot. Approximately three years before the accident, he had flown about 30 hours of aerobatics with a civilian airshow pilot and fellow A-10 pilot. During that training, various spin maneuvers were practiced, including intentional mistakes to emphasize proper recovery techniques. However, the two pilots had not discussed aerobatics for several months prior to the accident.
Another civilian airshow pilot and A-10 pilot who had practiced aerobatic maneuvers with the accident pilot estimated that the latter had accumulated between 150 and 200 hours in the Extra 300. They did not practice negative G maneuvers, and this pilot was uncertain when the accident pilot last practiced spins. Reflecting on the accident, the airshow pilot speculated that the accident pilot may have been practicing an inverted spin or other aerobatic maneuver and inadvertently transitioned to an upright spin during recovery.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane struck a rural, grassy field. The distribution of wreckage and damage pattern indicated a nose-down attitude with minimal forward momentum at impact. Both wings and the fuselage were crushed downward, and the tail section was twisted to the left of the fuselage. A first responder observed the pilot in the rear seat with his hands on the flight control stick and throttle.
A postaccident examination revealed that all flight control surfaces were present and there was no evidence of flight control interference between the front and rear cockpits. The elevator push-pull tube was fractured beneath the rear cockpit, and the aileron push-pull tube was fractured under the front cockpit, both consistent with overstress. The mixture and propeller control levers were found in the full-forward position, and the fuel selector valve was set to the center tank. The engine crankshaft rotated freely by hand, showing normal mechanical continuity. Gas path and combustion signatures on spark plugs, combustion chambers, and exhaust components were consistent with normal operation. No preimpact anomalies were identified that would have prevented normal airplane operation.