History of Flight
On May 19, 2024, at 1649 Pacific daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L airplane, registration N22MW, was substantially damaged when it crashed near Bandera, Washington. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot intended to attend the annual International Aerobatic Club (IAC) aerobatic training camp in Ephrata, Washington. He had recently experienced a mishap with his own airplane (an Extra NG) when its canopy opened during takeoff, rendering that aircraft unavailable. The owner of the accident airplane lent it to the pilot, who had flown it before and was covered by the owner's insurance.
ADS-B data indicated that the airplane departed Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO) in Arlington, Washington, at about 1627. It proceeded south-southeast, intersected Interstate 90 near Snoqualmie, then followed I-90 through a mountain pass while maintaining an altitude of approximately 1,500 ft agl. The canyon walls in the pass reached up to 5,500 ft msl. At about 1647, the airplane began climbing at 1,500 feet per minute, with groundspeed decreasing from 170 to 130 knots over 20 seconds. By 1648, it passed south of Bandera State Airport (4W0) at about 7,000 ft msl and 103 knots. The airplane then descended, accelerating to over 185 knots, briefly leveled off, and then entered a steeper descent. During the final seconds, it made a 90° left turn with decreasing airspeed. The last recorded data point at 1649:06 showed the airplane at 4,500 ft and 120 knots. When it did not arrive in Ephrata, an alert notice was issued, and the wreckage was found the next morning near the final ADS-B position.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and glider. He held a BasicMed medical certificate issued on May 15, 2023, with the limitation that corrective lenses were required for distant vision and glasses must be available for near vision. He was associated with IAC Chapter 67 and was the waiver holder for the Ephrata aerobatic camp.
According to his logbook, the pilot had accumulated 1,313.5 total flight hours, with 6 hours in the 90 days before the accident. He had extensive aerobatic experience. Logbooks showed he had flown from Arlington to Ephrata through Stampede Pass on at least two occasions since October 2021, following a route similar to the accident flight. The airplane owner stated that the pilot had flown that route many times, typically following I-90.
It is unknown if the pilot was aware of the weather forecast before departure. There is no record of him reviewing weather information from Leidos or ForeFlight. The day before the accident, he told the owner that the weather forecast was “iffy for getting to Stampede Pass,” so he would likely depart the day of the accident or possibly the next morning.
The pilot was scheduled to attend an aerobatic camp starting the day after the accident. The first group of pilots were to land on the accident day for a briefing at 1600 and sign-in. The pilot told the owner he planned to wait for favorable weather and might wait until May 22 or 23. His camp was to start on May 22. He told organizers that his wife was driving to the airport with the required Certificate of Waiver (CoW) to be signed at the briefing. About 1450 on the accident day, an organizer asked if he would be at Ephrata to help give the briefing; he responded that he would not.
The aerobatics camp required a CoW from the FAA, issued to the pilot. The CoW detailed conditions and responsibilities for conducting aerobatic activities, including that the pilot was the only person authorized to activate and deactivate the aerobatic area.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L, registration N22MW. Review of records showed the most recent annual inspection was completed on September 30, 2023, at an airframe total time of 1,002 hours. The most recent maintenance was replacement of the tailwheel on May 15, 2024, at 1,016.8 hours.
According to the flight manual, stall speeds at a weight of 870 kg were 57 knots at wings level, 61 knots at 30° bank, and 68 knots at 45° bank. The flight manual prohibited flight into known icing conditions and instructed the pilot to immediately exit such conditions by turning back or changing altitude to reach a temperature less conducive to ice accumulation, and to plan to land at the nearest suitable airfield.
Meteorological Information
The closest official weather station was Stampede Pass Airport (SMP), about 9 miles southeast of the accident site at 3,970 ft msl. Automated observations about 30 minutes before and after the accident reported similar conditions: wind from 250° at 4 knots (variable 5 knots after), visibility 10 miles or greater, broken clouds at 1,500-1,700 ft agl, overcast at 2,500 ft agl, temperature 5°C, dew point 2°C, and altimeter 30.18 inHg.
A High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model sounding for 1700 indicated a cloud layer between about 4,000 and 12,500 ft msl, with light to moderate clear, mixed, and rime icing in two layers between 5,500 ft and 10,000 ft. The freezing level was at 5,446 ft. At about 6,500 ft msl, near the airplane's altitude before descent, wind was from 335° at 6 knots, temperature -8.6°C, dew point -10.3°C, and relative humidity 84%.
Satellite imagery and graphical forecasts depicted broken cloud cover with bases around 5,000 ft and tops around 9,000 ft msl. AIRMETs for mountain obscuration and icing were valid. Pilot statements and witness interviews reported adverse weather in the Stampede Pass area: unseasonably cold, rainy, windy conditions; isolated heavy rain, poor visibility, and moderate turbulence; considerable cloud cover, ragged clouds, and mountain obscuration. A pilot report near the time of the accident described light to moderate turbulence and light rime icing at 6,000 ft msl. One pilot flying in the area about 30 minutes before the accident reported cloud tops at 10,000 ft msl, dissipating as he flew west out of the pass.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was on a north-facing slope of densely forested mountainous terrain at about 3,100 ft msl. The airplane came to rest among dense cedar and fir trees up to 150 ft agl. The slope varied between 45° and 60°. Fresh branch breaks were observed directly above the main wreckage, and the top of one small fir tree was severed. No tree trunks showed evidence of impact.
The debris field was about 100 ft in diameter, with the main wreckage in the center. Debris included pieces of clear plastic, fragmented composite, paint chips, and propeller splinters. The main wreckage consisted of the engine, fuselage, wings, and empennage, with the empennage folded over the fuselage in a scorpion-like position.
Both wings were partially embedded in topsoil and remained attached to the fuselage. Wing skin panels were fragmented and distributed throughout the debris; leading edges showed extensive crushing and fragmentation. The main wing spar was fractured in multiple locations, with outboard portions exhibiting the greatest crush deformation. Both ailerons were fragmented, with only inboard sections identifiable. The right aileron inboard section remained attached to its fitting, but the control rod and bellcrank assembly were loose. A tree branch was lodged in the upper skin of the right aileron; the right spade remained attached. The left aileron had greater crush deformation and additional fragmentation; the left spade had separated.
The vertical stabilizer was fragmented, with only partial rib structure remaining. The rudder remained attached, and the rudder control horn was attached to control cables and could oscillate laterally between stops. The main landing gear was impact-separated and located alongside the lower fuselage. The forward control bellcrank and control sticks were crushed, rudder pedals damaged. Due to extensive fragmentation, control continuity could not be established.
The engine sustained extensive crush deformation; the oil sump was impact-fractured. Multiple pushrods separated, several rocker arms were not located. Upper spark plugs showed light gray coloration. Both magnetos were impact-damaged; timing could not be established. Piston faces had normal carbon deposits. No evidence of detonation or foreign object ingestion. The oil filter pleats had no metallic contamination. Postimpact examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure.
The propeller hub came to rest beneath the engine; all three wooden blades were shattered, with fragments distributed throughout the site.
Both cockpit seats were crushed, leaving no survivable space. The airplane was equipped with five-point restraint systems for both seats. The seatbelt latch position at impact could not be definitively determined. The lower lap belt on the pilot's seat appeared latched, with crotch strap engaged. Deformation of the pilot's lap belt hooks was consistent with engagement at impact. The parachute the pilot was wearing was still packed; there was no indication he attempted to bail out.
Additional Information
The airplane was equipped with a Garmin aera 660. Its terrain function used GPS position and altitude to display surrounding terrain and could provide visual and aural alerts. According to the manufacturer, this feature was a situational awareness aid only, not intended for primary terrain avoidance. It could not be determined how the unit was configured at the time of the accident, including whether terrain alerting was enabled. The airplane's owner stated that the pilot had limited familiarity with the system.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted by the King County Medical Examiner's Office reported the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory did not reveal any drugs of abuse.