Nations ACRO SPORT II accident near Pence Springs, WV
On May 23, 1999, a Nations ACRO SPORT II (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pence Springs, WV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 23, 1999
- Place
- Pence Springs, WV
- Aircraft
- Nations ACRO SPORT II · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.660°N, 80.719°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X18869
NTSB summary
On May 22, 1999, about 2015 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Acro Sport II, N113JN, was destroyed after it impacted terrain near Pence Springs, West Virginia. The certificated student pilot received serious injuries, and the passenger was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a witness at the Hinton-Alderson Airport, Pence Springs, West Virginia, the pilot did one takeoff, and one landing before taxing back to pickup his 15 year old son. The pilot then taxied to the runway, and departed. After becoming airborne, the airplane made a right turn to the south, and the witness did not mention the airplane returning. About 2015, several witnesses that where fishing along the Greenbrier River, reported that the airplane approached the accident site from the northeast, and started to execute a loop. Halfway through the loop, the airplane entered a spin, and the spin continued until the airplane impacted the ground. One of the witnesses reported a reduction in engine noise when the airplane was halfway through the loop. He then heard it increase while the airplane was in the spin. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector examined the wreckage on May 24, 1999, at the accident site. He verified flight control continuity. He also verified crankshaft, piston, valve train, and accessory gearbox continuity. He observed fuel in the line that connected the engine to the airframe. According to the student pilot, he had a total of 75 hours of flight experience, a
Probable cause
The student pilot's improper decision to perform aerobatics, and his failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in an inadvertent spin. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of aerobatic experience.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
