What happened
On August 30, 2015, during the second day of an aviation event at Friesach Hirt Airfield (LOKH) in Austria, a Pitts S-2B crashed during an aerobatic performance. The pilot had arrived at the airfield the previous day to prepare and had successfully completed two demonstration programs on August 29 without incident.
On the afternoon of the accident, the pilot commenced the flight with a series of maneuvers, including turns, half-rolls, and a large loop. Following a sequence of low-level passes, the pilot attempted 2.5 snap rolls. During the recovery phase of these rolls, the aircraft was positioned with its upper fuselage facing downward, approximately 40 meters west of the runway centerline. The pilot attempted to pull the aircraft nose up, but the aircraft entered a vertical descent. The Pitts S-2 andB struck the ground at an angle of approximately 60 degrees, roughly 60 meters west of the runway centerline. The impact resulted in the death of the pilot and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The Austrian Federal Safety Investigation Board (SUB) reconstructed the flight path using witness statements and footage from an action camera mounted on the aircraft. The investigation examined the aircraft's technical condition, the pilot's medical and professional history, and the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident.
Technical examination of the wreckage showed no evidence of pre-existing mechanical failures or malfunctions. The investigation also reviewed the event's regulatory framework, noting that while aerobatic displays are typically required to maintain a minimum altitude of 1,700 feet above ground level, no specific exemption for lower altitudes was found for this flight.
Findings
- The pilot was actively controlling the aircraft throughout the final maneuvers.
- The pilot's medical and professional qualifications were valid at the time of the accident.
- Meteorological conditions were not a contributing factor.
- The primary cause of the accident was that the required altitude for the 2.5 snap rolls was not properly planned, leaving insufficient height to recover the aircraft before ground impact.