Curtiss Wright P-40N accident near Mastic Beach, NY
On April 5, 2009, a Curtiss Wright P-40N (airplane) was involved in an accident near Mastic Beach, NY. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 5, 2009
- Place
- Mastic Beach, NY
- Aircraft
- Curtiss Wright P-40N · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.707°N, 72.851°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090405X75631
Official records · ERA09LA233
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 5, 2009, at 1325 eastern daylight time, an experimental Curtiss Wright P-40N, N740RB, collided with the Atlantic Ocean 1/4 mile off the shore of Mastic Beach, New York. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that departed Brookhaven Airport, (HWV), Shirley, New York, at 1309. The aerobatic flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. In a written statement, the pilot's son said that he and his father were an airshow "team" and that the purpose of the flight was to practice aerobatics, and that he would act as a "safety guide" from the beach with a handheld radio. The pilot's son stated that all communications with the accident airplane were "normal." The airplane entered a "half Cuban eight" maneuver at an estimated 250 to 260 mph and when the airplane was "in the middle of the Cuban eight it went into a spin." The pilot's son estimated the airplane had slowed to 100 to 120 mph, which was "too slow," when the airplane entered the spin, and lacked the altitude to recover before crashing into the sea. In a written statement, a former Army fighter pilot witness described a similar sequence of events, and stated that he thought the pilot was attempting an "Immelman" turn and added, "I knew he was in trouble when he didn't complete the Immelman turn and went off on one wing. The plane made 4 to 5 revolutions and augured into the ocean." The witness stated that no parts departed the airplane at anytime
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while performing aerobatics at low altitude.
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Browse: New York
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
