Background
The Nimrod display aircraft and its crew deployed to Canada on 23 August 1995 for performances at Canadian Forces Base Shearwater and the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto. Weather conditions were excellent with a light on-shore wind. The aircraft took off on time for its display.
Accident Sequence
After completing safety checks, the aircraft initiated the standard Nimrod display sequence, which included two orbits and two dumb-bell turns. The first dumb-bell turn was completed uneventfully. Following a slow flypast with the undercarriage down, the aircraft entered the second dumb-bell turn. It turned approximately 75° to starboard under full power before the flaps were retracted to 20° and the undercarriage raised. The nose pitched up to a climbing attitude of 24°.
As the aircraft passed 950 feet, engine power was reduced to almost flight idle, causing the speed to drop rapidly to 122 knots, below the 150 knots recommended and taught for that stage of the display. The aircraft rolled to 70° of port bank, later reducing to 45°, and the nose lowered to 5° below the horizon. During this turn, airspeed increased slightly and G-loading increased to 1.6 G. The combination of low airspeed and G-loading led to a stall. The port wing dropped to 85° of bank and the nose dropped to 18° below the horizon. Full starboard aileron and full engine power were applied in an attempt to recover, but there was insufficient height, and the aircraft hit the water. All seven crew members were killed.
Findings
The inquiry determined that the captain made an error of judgment in modifying one of the display maneuvers to the extent that he stalled the aircraft at a height and attitude from which recovery was impossible. Contributory factors included deficiencies in the flight deck crew's training and in the method of supervision, which may have allowed the captain to develop an unsafe technique without full appreciation of the consequences.