North American T 28C accident near Alton, VA
On September 19, 2014, a North American T 28C (airplane) was involved in an accident near Alton, VA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 19, 2014
- Place
- Alton, VA
- Aircraft
- North American T 28C · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.559°N, 79.207°W
- NTSB ID
- 20140919X90350
Official records · ERA14FA445
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 19, 2014, about 1710 eastern daylight time, an experimental North American T-28C, N531KG, operated by a private individual, was destroyed when it impacted a kudzu field, while performing aerobatics near Alton, Virginia. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed Easton Airport (ESN), Easton Maryland, about 1600. No flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Danville Regional Airport (DAN), Danville, Virginia. A witness, who was a friend of the pilot, was at a racing facility with a motorcycle racing team that the pilot owned. The witness added that he received a text message from the pilot that the pilot would be there in 6 minutes. The accident airplane then performed a low pass over the area, reversed direction, and initiated a barrel roll during the second pass. The witness stated that the airplane started to climb before the barrel roll, but it wasn't enough and he knew the airplane would not have enough altitude to complete the maneuver. The airplane subsequently collided with trees and terrain. A second witness recorded a video of the maneuver, which was forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory, Washington, D.C. The video confirmed the witnesses' statements and revealed that the airplane attempted a barrel roll about 100 feet above ground level and then disappeared behind a treeline. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held a private pilot certificate
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude while performing low-level aerobatic maneuvers, which resulted in collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper decision to attempt aerobatics at such a low altitude.
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
- Beech B99, Sep 23, 1985
- Beech 65, Sep 10, 1995
- Beech 200, Oct 24, 2004
- Piper PA-31-310, Nov 14, 1982
Browse: Virginia · North American aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
