1
DRAFT AIRSHOW ACCIDENT REVIEW 2012
The tenets expressed in this review are those of the author and addresses
a sample of significant accidents and incidents at aerial events worldwide
in 2012, both during actual events and during rehearsals and includes,
airshows, air races, flypasts, and air capability demonstrations; in fact,
any event at which an aircraft is displayed or rehearses for an air event, in
which the flow of the event is jeopardised.
Des Barker
“I have learned that carelessness and overconfidence are usually far more dangerous
than deliberately accepted risks.” (Wilbur Wright 1900 in a letter to his father)
INTRODUCTION
If there was an international newspaper that covered airshows, the headlines at the end
of the airshow calendar for 2012, would most probably have read: “An Historic Achievement Year Ends With No Spectator or Public Deaths”. Why would this be so newsworthy? Well,
since the inception of ‘air events’ in 1908, there have hardly been any years without death or
injury to spectators or members of the public – such years are relatively rare. However, despite
this achievement in reducing collateral losses, the death’s of thirteen display pilots in one year,
remains unacceptable and emphasizes the requirement for ongoing ‘in your face’ safety
education programmes for airshow participants from both the ground and air community. Every
year, events on the periphery of airshows, in some way or the other, affect the community,
positively, or negatively, and 2012 had its fair share.
AIRSHOW EVENTS
FAA Public Hearing
“Galloping Ghost”.
Most significantly
in the USA, the display
community
anxiously
watched
the
deliberations emanating
from the FAA public
hearing into the Reno Air
Race accident 2011 in
which Jimmy Leewards’
souped-up’
Mustang,
“Galloping
Ghost”,
crashed in front of VIP
boxes, killing Leeward
and 10 spectators and
injuring
70.
The
recommendations
flowing from the FAA
hearing could have had
significantly
adverse
effects on the airshow
community, not only air
racing.
However, the
community
were
Airshow Accidents/Incidents 2003 to 2012
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
The 26 accidents in 2012 were only slightly below the 10 year
average of 27.6 but was significantly less than the previous two
years. Is the downward trend an indication that aggressive safety
drives by ICAS, EAC and ASSA are paying dividends? Only time will
tell.
2
relieved, in January, when an FAA official stated: “it's unlikely there will be significant changes
to airshow and air race safety rules”. If the FAA becomes aware "of a risk that exceeds the
boundary of what we think is acceptable, we will make those changes. But not currently," he
said.
The ‘good news’ of January was to turn in to rather bad news by the end of 2012 and
could constitute a threat in future to the airshow community, particularly in terms of insurance
costs. A ‘wrongful death’ lawsuit was filed in Texas on 31 October 2011 by the wife of a man
killed in the crash. A $25 million lawsuit against the pilot and the Texas company that modified
the Mustang, ‘Galloping Ghost’ was filed calling the crash a “predictable result of a reckless
drive for speed by a risk-taking pilot and crew, coupled with an insatiable drive for profit by those
who stood to profit from the show. The decisions arising from the court case, could set a
precedent for litigation in future airshow accidents and incidents, the results of which are not yet
evident.
At the time of the crash, the defendant in the case, was in fourth place and was rounding
the last pylon when the plane pitched up, rolled inverted and then pitched down. The airplane
crashed into the box section of the seats and exploded in front of the grandstands.
Craig Salerno, husband to Sezen Altug and father of two young children, was sitting in
the box sitting area and was killed instantly. According to the lawsuit, the former military aircraft
had undergone major modifications. The plaintiff argued that the P-51D airplane was never
designed to operate at speeds approaching 550 mph. Defendant Richard Shanholtzer, an
expert in aircraft modifications, changed the aerodynamics of the aircraft, such as shortening
the wingspan over 10 feet from the plane’s original design, the suit states.
According to the lawsuit, the aircraft mechanics reported that the pilot’s team was having
trouble with the electronically controlled trim-tab and that the aircraft lost the trim-tab, causing it
to abruptly pitch up and as a result, the pilot lost consciousness and complete control of the
aircraft. In an interesting legal twist on matters, defendant Reno Air Racing Association is
accused of:

Negligence for failing to warn spectators of the risks associated with the air race.

Negligence for failing to test the plane’s modifications.

Failing to examine the parameters of the expected flight.

Failing to warn spectators that the plane was having issues.

Failing to warn spectators of the inherent risks with the race itself and spectator
positioning.
The plaintiffs asked for an award of damages not to exceed $25 million in compensatory
and punitive damages for loss of consortium, loss of society, loss of earning capacity, pain and
suffering, mental anguish, interest and court costs.1
For 2012, organizers of the National Air Racing Championships secured $100 million in
necessary insurance and changed the race course for the fastest planes to keep them farther
from spectators by moving the largest pylon course for the 49th annual championships away
from the crowd. The change would include the softening of some curves to ease the
gravitational pull on pilots, including coming out of a stretch called the "Valley of Speed" where
aircraft flying at speeds up to 500 mph gain momentum on the high Sierra plateau north of
Reno. It will make the race course on the turn there, more consistent and probably less of a gstrain, for the less experienced race pilots. The announcements were made after a ‘blue ribbon
1
“Wrongful death lawsuit filed in Texas over Reno airshow crash”, By Michelle Keahey, East Texas Bureau, The
Southeast Texas Record, 7 December 2011. Case No. 4:11-cv-00796.
3
panel’ of experts appointed by the association unveiled its list of safety recommendations,
including formalizing plane inspection procedures.
The four-member panel, also advised further study of possible age limits for pilots.
Jimmy Leeward was 74. The panel talked at length about whether age limits or other increased
medical requirements should be imposed, but decided that they were not qualified to make
"what are in effect medical recommendations." Instead, they urged the association to create a
formal position of director of aerospace medicine to review areas such as pilot age and the
medical impact of gravitational forces on pilots.
Other suggestions included creating an internal evaluation program modeled after the
kind airlines use and formalizing inspection procedures to be sure "uncorrected discrepancies"
regarding airplane modifications "do not slip through the system." The association continues to
face financial challenges, having lost about $1 million last year and facing a $1.7 million
increase in its insurance premium under the new deal with underwriters.2
International Council of Airshows
ICAS Board of Directors, in it’s ongoing drive to enhance safety, adopted a resolution
that read, in part, that in 2017, ICAS will be an organization that…“is recognized as a leader in
the general aviation and aerial entertainment arenas, and sets the world standard for airshow
safety, performer proficiency and industry business practices, resulting in a stable foundation for
the growth and development of the airshow industry.”
In that light, several Key Result Areas (KRA) with a “Board Champion”, were assigned to
oversee several action plans. Ralph Royce’s Key Result Area assignment is Safety, and he
was tasked with developing a set of draft goals which, if achieved, would pave the way for a
successful achievement of the five-year ICAS vision.
At this point Royce has started with the general goals, with the how and why particulars
to be fleshed out when the Safety goals will be matched with other 9 or 10 affected KRAs, a
detailed analysis to refine the targeted items would commence and develop a specifically
measurable, realistically achievable, and timely flight plan to achieve the objective. The first
areas identified as possible KRAs include:
 Analysis/Summary of safety issues to be sure we really know where and what the real
safety issues are rather than what everybody thinks they are;
 Continue to institutionalize the Safety Management Program, give it a prominent role in
the industry and wide dissemination of its findings;
 Flying Safety to include pilot selection and progression; maneuvers and maneuver
packages; air boss industry endorsement; professionalizing the ACE program, role of the
military, clear and consistent interpretation of ICAS and FAA rules etc;
 Ground Safety to include all aspects of site build-up/teardown, the aerobatic box and its
depiction; ingress/egress; etc;
 Relationship of the industry to the other industry safety organizations and their programs
and to the regulating organization and its policies.
Red Arrows
Across the Atlantic in the UK, demonstrating a stringently disciplined approach to safety,
Britain’s first female Red Arrows pilot, Flt Lt Kirsty Stewart, Red 9, with one year of her tour
remaining, was transferred from the tightly-knit aerobatic outfit to a ground role, suffering from
stress after the deaths of two members of the team in 2011. Flt Lt Jon Egging, Red 4, died in
August 2011 when he crashed near Bournemouth after a display and in November 2011, Flt Lt
2
“Reno Air Races plans to change course this fall”, By Scott Sonner, Associated Press, 23 May 2012.
4
Sean Cunningham, Red 5, was killed when he was ejected from his Hawk T1 while it was on the
runway at RAF Scampton.
The strain of the double tragedy left Stewart unable to be absolutely focused on flying for
another demanding display season. Senior officers were concerned and ruled that she was not
"in the right place" to fly and made the tough decision to reassign her.3
An MoD spokesman said: "The Red Arrows will conduct aerobatic displays with seven
aircraft rather than the usual nine in 2012 due to the unavoidable posting of one of their pilots.
"With safety paramount, the quality of the displays remain vitally important, it has been decided
that seven aircraft presents the most visually-balanced and dynamic formation. The team will
still carry out official flypasts with nine aircraft and will return to a full aerobatic formation of nine
aircraft in 2013."
ICASs ‘OPS BULL’
ICASs monthly safety newsletter “Ops Bull” introduced ‘real and relevant’ safety article
topics to provide continuous ‘in your face’ safety messages to focus the airshow community on
the environmental risks that exist in airshows and display flying. Typical topics covered included
"Safety is for sissies!" which highlighted the basics of surviving the airshow circuit thorough
briefings and de-briefings, frequent practice and continual risk identification and mitigation.
Thoughtful consideration of energy management issues and how to respond to
emergency situations at every point in the maneuver sequence, rigorous self-assessment
before every flight, active elimination of pre-flight distractions, unemotional consideration of
constructive criticism offered by fellow pilots, careful integration of new maneuvers into an
established air show sequence, meticulously well-maintained equipment and an ongoing
program to maintain physical conditioning were some of the pointers offered.
There is nothing any of us can do that will completely eliminate the risks inherent in lowlevel aerobatic flying, but approaching those risks as a professional is an airshow performer's
surest path to predictable outcomes on every flight. It's not enough to simply aspire to being
safe; it takes a commitment to professionalism.
In another article, “Pride Goeth Before a Fall”, the writer argued the timeless admonition
that translates well in any language, including the language of airshows. In the event that a
performer, event organizer or support service provider compromises the pride they take in doing
their work, the results can be catastrophic. If a performer settles for less than his very best
effort during a particular performance or on an individual maneuver, the fall will come. The
margins for error are often so small that a tiny lapse, even by a veteran, can have tragic
consequences. And, sadly, this lesson has been written in the blood of some of industry’s most
talented and experienced pilots.
Similarly, even well-established shows can suffer problems and even tragedies, if key
individuals become too confident or casual while working in the unforgiving airshow
environment. Allowing activities that are unsafe, unplanned or against the established best
practices and regulations, will eventually result in financial, publicity or safety problems.
In fact, the proverb could be even more appropriate for the airshow community with a
little light editing: ‘professionalism goeth before the fall’. In other words, when we stop giving,
demanding and expecting the very best of ourselves, those we work with and those we work for,
the end result will always be failure. Thankfully, the inverse is also true; when we give, expect
and execute in accordance with the highest standards of excellence, the end result will always
be success.
The physiological aspects of display flying are not necessarily afforded the required
attention and in this particular case, in the Midwest, drought adversely affected vast expanses of
the country which experience record high temperatures and record low precipitation. ICAS
3
Red Arrows Kirsty Quits After Deahs of Two Pals”, The Sun, 13 January 2012.
5
made a call to take a collective step back and examine how the airshow industry should
respond to environmental conditions. Such record-setting extremes can cause significant
issues for both performers and event organizers alike, so the negative aspects of heat effects
were revisited by considering the effect of heat on energy burn and fatigue, particularly critical
during complex activities such as aerobatics.
The effect of sweating and fluid loss and the importance of replenishment to enable the
body can still function at its peak performance levels, was emphasised. Decision making, G
tolerance and even spectator health are directly impacted. Performers - drink more water.
Event organizers - have more water available for performers and spectators. In two separate
cases during the last twelve years, grass fires in parking areas at airshows resulted in immense
fires causing millions of dollars in damage to the cars parked there. You’ll hear these incidents
referred to as “Car-B-Ques.”.
Another article on Risk Mitigation addressed the topic from the perspective of the game
of risk, ‘Black Jack’ from a point of view of small changes in risks, have big rewards. The
airshow business needs simple tools that performers and producers can use to tip the odds and
rake the table. The ICAS initiative to change the culture of airshow safety is about making
rational decisions regarding the risks and searching for ways to reduce them. A simple
methodology to start the process was propagated:

Step 1. Analyse and acknowledge the risks in our business. If we deny the risks, there is
no chance we can manage them.

Step 2. Sit down, either alone or with a trusted peer and take a serious look at every part of
your air show operation. For a performer, this includes maintenance, ferrying, practice, preshow preparation, and the performance, as well as physical and psychological
preparedness of the pilot. Any aspect of an airshow operation that adds risks to the overall
equation is fair game and should be analyzed.

An example: Everyone knows that getting rushed before a performance is never a good
thing, and yet this continues to happen, sometimes with tragic results. Make a list of things
that you could do to prevent getting rushed and incorporate the procedures into your
operation. Are these strategies always going to work? Maybe not, but if you can reduce
the number of times you get rushed in a season, you have reduced the risks. It is all about
tipping the odds in your favor, however minutely.

Step 3. Is tougher. In some cases, there is no way to mitigate risk for a certain aspect of
our operation. For those activities, consider the risk and the reward and make a reasoned
decision that the reward justifies the risk. If it does, accept that risk and carry on, carefully.
If it doesn’t, then the tough question is, “Why do we do it?” And the follow up question:
“What can we do that will accomplish the same thing with less risk?”
It really is that simple. analyzing airshow operations and developing methods to mitigate the
risks that we can, and deliberately accepting the risks we can’t mitigate. Simple means
uncomplicated, and while this is not a complicated formula, nobody said it was easy. We need
some extra aces in the deck. What’s the difference between airshows and Black Jack? There
are plenty of extra aces to find in the airshow business. We just need to have the discipline to
look for them.
Farnborough 2012
In an unusual step, the Farnborough Management Team declined the participation of the
Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), 8-ship T-50 aerobatic team, the Black Eagles, which had
been ‘wowing’ the crowds at the Royal International Air Tattoo the previous weekend, and in the
process reeling in awards and accolades, instead, only allowed a solo performance by one of
the Korean-built supersonic trainers.
6
Their dynamic routine included multiple splits and rejoins during a total of 22 maneuvers.
Unique among jet aerobatic teams, the Black Eagles’ display includes a syncro pair plus two
solos. After the first split, these aircraft perform various solo, two- and three-ship maneuvers,
including a delightful tracing of the ROKAF roundel in blue-and-white smoke. Two of them
temporarily rejoin the core four-ship before breaking away again during a downward bomb
burst. “It looks dangerous, but we make repositioning calls by radio to keep each other
informed,” team commander Lt. Col. Kim Young Hwa commented.
The Flying Control Committee turned down the Korean request for a Black Eagles
appearane at Farnborough, according to their spokesperson: “Given our location, which is
surrounded by built-up areas, there are very stringent rules in force,” the flying display director
said. In recent years, only the Red Arrows have been allowed to fly here; the current rules were
established when the UK Ministry of Defence was still running the airfield”, he continued. “Much
as we wanted to invite the Black Eagles, we had already made a safety decision to expand
incrementally,” he said. The Koreans had been informed of the decisions many months ago, he
added.4
STATISTICAL OVERVIEW
2012 showed a continued decrease in airshow accidents and incidents from the
ignominious 2010, which was most probably the worst year, safety wise, in the history of display
flying. Trying to find some positives from the statistics, the question is: “Could the last two years
decrease year on year indicate the start of a downward trend? It’s obviously too early to say,
only time will tell. Could it be that the dynamic efforts being made by ICAS, EAC and FTSSA,
particularly ICAS, to drive an ‘in your face’ safety campaign, is paying dividends? One can only
trust that the efforts will provide a favourable return on investment.
Accidents/Incidents
Accidents/Incidents by Country 2012
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
ICAS’s aggressive drive to enhance display flying safety included initiatives such as their
ICARUS system; a system to anonymously report safety hazards at airshows that would benefit
the industry as a whole, not only the display pilots. ICARUS is one of the tools used to obtain
the data needed to identify unsafe practices; in which not only accidents and major incidents
4
, “Korean Black Eagles Soar, but Not Over Farnborough”, 9 July 2012, By Chris Pocock 13 July 2012.
7
would be available for review and lessons learned, but also to hear about the close calls and
small mistakes. Their goal was to use this information, together with other data, to identify and
mitigate risks before they result in accidents. ICARUS is not punitive, and completely
anonymous with emphasis on the JUST culture and avoids ‘passing the buck’. The aim is for
ALL potential hazards at an airshow to be identified and mitigation measures introduced.
Accidents by Country
26 accidents and incidents occurred in twelve different countries; a significant
improvement on the 34 airshow accidents and incidents of 2011. The USA, by virtue of its
significantly greater number of airshows annually, decreased from 14 in 2011 to 9 in 2012.
Sadly, there are no accurate statistics regarding flying hours flown in practice and during air
events against which to make more statistical sense of the accident figures.
Casualties
The most important criteria in
assessing the safety performance of
the airshow community worldwide
remains the actual loss rate, not only
spectators and members of the public
killed,
but
the
entire
airshow
community losses, including all active
airshow participants, ie pilots, wing
walkers, parachutists, support crew,
etc. In 2011, the 105 airshow accident
casualties were 31 more than in 2010,
most of course derived from the 67
spectators killed and injured at the
Reno Air Races.
In 2012, the loss rate was down
to a total of 17 casualties, of which 14
were fatal.
The most significant
improvement to airshow safety during
2012, was that for the first time in
many years, there were no casualties
to any other person outside of the
display performers, except for a
passenger that was killed while flying
along during a display. Sadly, a total
of 13 pilots were killed. It must be
pointed out that the two pilots that
were injured, the Christen Eagle and
the Bronco OV-10, were extremely
fortunate to survive – a good case for
‘divine intervention’ perhaps?
Fatalities remain untenable and
unsustainable
if
the
airshow
community is to continue to exist
without additional regulatory and
insurance interventions, both of which
impose serious constraints on the
ability to host air events.
Pax
Pax
Injured, 1
Killed,
1 Pilots
Injured, 2
Pilots
Killed, 13
Airshow Accident and Incident Casualties 2012
Ground
Collision
4%
Unknown
8%
Environm
ental
12%
Mechanic
al
38%
Midair
Collision
8%
FIT
15%
Loss of
Control
15%
Airshow Accident Causal Factors 2012
8
Causal Factors
For the second year in succession, Mechanical causes (38%) were the most significant
contribution to airshow accidents and incidents, not Flight Into Terrain (15%), Loss of Control
(15%) or Midair collisions (8%). In a way, that is good news. What is of concern is the number
of mechanical failures within the vintage aircraft category, mainly undercarriage related and then
engine failures and engine fires. This contribution from MACHINE was thus inordinately high at
38% versus the historical average of 23%. Flight Into Terrain was down from the historical
average of 28%, as in 2011 to 15% and Loss of Control, down from 21% to 15%.
The question is why the Mechanical
Unknown
contribution had increased so significantly?
8%
Not surprisingly, the primary contribution to
Machine factors was closely tied into the
increased number of vintage aircraft that were
involved in airshow accidents; 54% of the
Medium
vintage aircraft accidents were attributable to
12%
Man
mechanical or structural failures. Conclusion,
42%
mechanical failures on vintage category aircraft
contributed inordinately primary causal factor
of accident statistics in 2012, a similar trend
was evident in the previous year and is an
Machine
indicator to monitor into the future.
38%
Very reassuring was the swing away
from human judgement error, down from 86%
in 2010 to 53% in 2011 and 42% in 2012.
Does this mean that the airshow community
have become more sensitive to the threats and
challenges? Does this imply that display pilots
Airshow Accident and Incident Causal
have improved their judgement and aircraft
Factors 2012.
handling skills and that maintenance efforts
Flypast
have now regressed below standard?
Air Race Flypast
Rehearsal
4%
Rehearsal
Event Categorisation
4%
4%
The historical trend of 71% of accidents
occurring during the actual events, not at
rehearsals, remained unchanged.
This
phenomenon can best be explained by the fact
Display
that the pressure to perform during the actual
Practice
event, watched by spectators, places
23%
additional stress on the pilot to push the
Airshow
display to the limit. There are often cases in
s
which the conditions during rehearsal are less
65%
than ideal and pilots then elect to postpone
rehearsals until conditions improve.
The
problem is that on show day, under less than
Airshow Accident/ Incident Events 2012
ideal conditions, with the demands from the
event organiser, and pilot’s wanting to meet
their commitments, sometimes ‘press’ the performances under conditions for which they have
not practiced. The military adage of “fight like you train” is especially relevant; display like you
practice – anything else is pushing the error margin.
Aircraft Categories
9
Although trainer jets were involved in 25% of the accidents/incidents, what was of
concern was the fact that vintage aircraft as a category, as was the case in 2011, made up 50%
of the aircraft types involved in the accidents and incidents, this being 30% greater than the
historical norm. The reason for this statistical event was the significant increase in vintage
aircraft now found on airshow circuits worldwide. A further interrogation of these statistics
points to mechanical failures which appear to be more prevalent on vintage types and then
arguably, a shortcoming in flying skills by vintage aircraft owners being manifested primarily in
Flight Into Terrain and Loss of Control accidents.
Vintage
Transport
Prop
4%
Trainer
Prop
4%
Vintage
Light Util
4%
Trainer Jet
25 %
OVERVIEW OF
INCIDENTS 2012
ACCIDENTS
AND
1.
03 FEBRUARY 2012: AIDC AT-3
ZIQIANG (PINGTUN, TAIWAN)
Two of the Taiwan Air Force
aerobatic team “Thunder Tigers” AT-3 jets
aircraft collided in mid-air during training
Fighter
Jet
flight. The planes took off from Gangshan
3%
Air Force Base and collided thirty minutes
later at 16,000 feet and a speed of 300
miles per hour while training in preparation
Vintage
Vintage
Fighter
Trainer
for the upcoming display season.
Sport
Prop
Prop
The left horizontal tail of Lead was
Vintage
Aero
21 %
11 %
Jet Trainer
11 %
ripped off after the collision, both pilots, Lt.
11 %
Col. Chang Kuo-chiang, the back seat
instructor, and 1st Lt. Tseng Kuo-wen under
Airshow Accident / Incident Aircraft
training, ejected successfully; the other
aircraft managed to return and land safely
Categories 2012.
to Kangshan Air Force Base.
“The
accident indicates pilot error, but the cause of the crash has to await the investigation of
experts” said President of Taiwan Air Force Academy Ke Wen-an.5
Sailplane
3%
Balloon
3%
2.
13 MARCH 2012: CANADAIR NF-5 (ANATOLIA, TURKEY)
Captain Umit Ozer, a member of the 8-ship Turkish Air Force Turkish Stars military
demonstration team, was killed when his Canadair NF-5 Tiger fighter jet crashed during a
training flight near the city of Konya. At the time of writing, there was no official cause of the
accident released by the Turkish military accident review board.6
3.
23 MARCH 2012: AEROVODOCHODY L-39 ALBATROS (FLORIDA, USA)
One of the five L-39s aircraft belonging to the seven-ship, civilian, Black Diamond Jet
Aerobatic Team, established two weeks earlier at the TICO Warbirds Airshow, belly-landed after
a VIP air display before the official Florida International Airshow at the Punta Gorda Airport.
The pilot was uninjured. Their participation in the airshow on Saturday was cancelled but on the
Sunday, they performed with three L-39’s and two MiG-17s. Cause of accident unknown. 7
5
Thunder Tigers AT-3 Midair Collision”, posted 3 February 2012 on Aerobatic Teams Website, retrieved 21 April
2012.
6 “Fighter Jet Crash In Turkey Kills Turkish Stars Aerobatic Pilot”, NYC Aviation, 15 March 2012.
7 Posted on 25 Mar 2012 by aerobaticteams.net
10
4. 30 APRIL 2012: ZLIN 226 (ERFURT,
GERMANY)
“Formation Flight Ended In
Tragedy” read a media report. During a
performance at an airshow near Erfurt,
pilot Martino Waller flew his 1950's-era
Zlin 226 in a formation flight when he lost
control of the airplane. Waller, was seen
to swerve away from the formation just
before the plane went down; the Zlin
exploded in a massive fireball as it
impacted the ground just 600 feet from
the closest spectators.
Pieces of
wreckage fell into the crowd, but
miraculously, nobody on the ground was
injured.8
Fireball horror: Flames and smoke billow into the
sky as a stunt plane piloted by Martino Wirth
crashes into the ground during an airshow near
Erfurt, Germany. (Image: MailOnline)
5.
16 MAY 2012: CANADAIR CT114 TUTOR (MOOSEJAW, CANADA)
Snowbird #7, Captain Iain Cummings, was involved in a bird strike incident during the
first demonstration of the year at the Squadron's home base at Moose Jaw. The strike occurred
during the final stage of the display when
the bird collided with the wing of the
Tutor. The team interrupted the show for
a while until Cummings had landed
safely, then the remaining Snowbirds
completed the demonstration.
The
damage to the wing was minor.9
6.
03
JUNE
2012:
FAIREY
FIREFLY (CALIFORNIA, USA)
The undercarriage of the only
known flying example of a Fairey Firefly
in the USA, collapsed during the landing
run at the "Wings over Gillespie" Airshow
Mechanical failure remains a constant threat, not
in El Cajon. The pilot was uninjured, but
only to the display pilot, but the event organiser.
the plane suffered fairly extensive
(Image: Chris Moore)
damage when it went off the north side of
runway 27R. The aircraft had to be removed from the grass area alongside the runway with a
crane. Official cause unconfirmed, suspected mechanical failure.10
7.
15 JUNE 2012: CHRISTEN EAGLE (IDAHO, USA)
The Friday evening preview at the annual Legacy Airshow in Rexburg was supposed to
be a casual affair with sponsors and guests lined up along the runway to watch Buck Roetman
put the experimental Christen Eagle through its paces in preparation for the next day’s,
Saturday show. Video footage captured by KIDK TV, shows a series of eight right hand aileron
rolls being completed; after the fifth aileron roll and at the apex of the 45º upline, the aircraft
continued on the downline while continuing another three aileron rolls. Shortly prior to impacting
“Daily Mail Online, “Spectators Watch in Horror as Pilot Dies in Fireball Crash After Losing Control at Air Show”,
Simon Tomlinson, 30 April 2012 retrieved 1 January 2013.
9
Posted on 19 May 2012 by aerobaticteams.net; retrieved 23 December 2012.
10 “Plane Goes Off Runway At Gillespie Field”, ABC 10 News.com retrieved 1 January 2013.
8
11
terrain, the roll rate appeared to stop and
the Eagle crashed into a group of trees on
the adjacent golf course in a near wings
level attitude. Roetman suffered a broken
ankle and some other, minor injuries.
Roetman said the aircraft lost thrust
probably due to a problem with regulating
the pitch of the propeller. "Just guessing at
this point, but I lost some thrust," he said.
"The engine was still running but I believe
it was a propeller issue. ...If I'd had another
300 to 400 feet I probably could have
recovered it." He expressed the opinion
that the propeller accumulator went out
and the blades went to a flat pitch
condition. Roetman reportedly attended
the airshow on Saturday, albeit on
crutches.11
Local emergency personnel respond to the crash
scene of the Christen Eagle onto a golf course next
to the airport while conducting consecutive aileron
rolls. (AP Photo/Mike Henneke, Standard Journal)
8.
18 JUNE 2012: HOT AIR BALLOON (NEBRASKA, USA)
A lady passenger, one of four people on board the balloon offering ‘flips’ at the show,
suffered a broken ankle in a hot air balloon crash in a cornfield at the Nebraska Airfest 2012 and
State Fly-In. The balloon took off just before 7 a.m., despite high winds and had reached 500
feet but then began to lose altitude when it hit a warm pocket of air. The balloon's gondola
tipped over when it hit the ground. The show continued as planned, but the U.S. Army's
Parachute Team did not perform because of the windy conditions.12
9.
29 JUNE 2012: AEROVODOCHODY L-39 ALBATROS (KLERKSDORP, SOUTH
AFRICA)
The two-ship formation of L-39 Albatros vintage jet trainers were approximately five
minutes into their routine in a very loose trail with the No. 2 pilot, GianFranco Cigione, line
astern at approximately 300 feet behind. Having completed the first 180° of the loop, Cigione
appeared to pull the Albatross hard into alignment with Lead’s plane of flight when the aircraft
departed left to inverted, and then dived down into the ground, impacting on the display line
approximately 300 metres from the spectator’s enclosure in a near wings level attitude. No
collateral damage was reported.
An expert witness reported his opinion of the events surrounding the accident: “During a
turnaround maneuver, the No 2 lagged behind Lead in trail. In order to get back into plane, he
was flying a tighter radius loop for the first ¾ of the loop and then a noticeable tightening of the
radius during the last ¼ occurred. This required a harder pull by the No. 2, who then ended up
in a position that was on the outside of the radius of the loop on the way down.
Comment from one of the display pilots: “The show announcer immediately took control
of the situation by instructing everybody to remain calm and to remain behind the barrier. And I
emphasize the word immediately. There was no hesitation. In my opinion, his reaction and
control over the public address system was outstanding considering the gravitas of what had
just occurred. The emergency services responded immediately”
“As a result of the high standard as set by RAASA, ASSA and the organizers, the
situation was dealt with in a manner that was of an exceptionally high standard and should be
the bar for airshow organizers around the world to aspire to. I personally believe that we, as
11
12
NTSB Identification: WPR12LA265 Preliminary Findings, retrieved 1 January 2013.
“Hot Air Balloon Crash At Air Show Sends 1 To The Hospital”, ABC News, 18 June 2012.
12
display pilots, are in good hands in the event of an incident or accident at airshows in South
Africa.”
10.
01 JULY 2012: DE HAVILLAND DH 53 (OLD WARDEN, UK)
A single-seat vintage DH-53 Hummingbird, a showpiece exhibit dating back to the
1920s, which was thought to have been the prototype airframe, G-EBHX, and one of the only
surviving examples, crashed during the Military Pageant Airshow at Old Warden, home to the
Shuttleworth Collection, killing the pilot,
Trevor Roche.
The Hummingbird had been in the
air for only a few minutes when the engine
reportedly faltered and as a result, the pilot
Trevor Roche lost control during the
approach to the forced landing and crashed
close to the airfield; about 600 spectators
witnessed the aircraft impact just 300 yards
from the crowd line. The airshow was
cancelled.13
The 1923 ABC Scorpion (twin
cylinder 30 hp) engined aircraft was the last
Although no official Accident Board findings
surviving airworthy example of the fifteen
have been released to date, initial eyewitness
built. Mr Roche had been the chief pilot for
reports indicate engine power loss as the
the Shuttleworth Collection, but stepped
primary causal factor.
down two years ago, despite staying on as
a pilot. The former RAF Tornado pilot had flown with the Collection since 1995.
11.
10 JULY 2012: ROCKWELL OV-10 BRONCO (GLOUSTERSHIRE, UK).
The historic RAF Kemble airfield dating back to 1938, was witness to the Bronco
accident in which Belgian display pilot, Tony De Bruyn, suffered serious injuries during a display
practice. The Bronco was operated by
the Belgian Bronco Demo Team.
An eyewitness stated that: “He
performed a climb, rolled inverted, then
attempted to pull out of the loop but ran
out of height”.
According to another
witness, the aircraft flew into the ground
pulling through from the inverted. To be
confirmed!!!!
The Bronco impacted the grass
strip in front of the control tower just south
of the main runway, almost level, where
the drop tank exploded on contact, the
The Bronco slid across the main runway,
front undercarriage dug in, pulling the
breaking up as it continued for about 500 yards,
nose cone off and both propellers. De
coming to a stop some 100 feet from the tower.
Bruyn, lucky to be alive, managed to open
(Image GWAAC)
the cockpit himself and was helped out by
the fire crew and was taken by air ambulance to hospital where he underwent surgery for two
fractured vertebrae and treated for burns to the upper torso.
“Gulf War veteran pilot killed after historic aircraft crashes in front of 600 stunned spectators at airshow”, Mail
Online, 1 July 2012.
13
13
Cotswold Airport chief executive
officer Susannah Harvey said: "The
response from our Flight Information
Service Officer and fire crew teams was
immediate and exemplary containing
the wreckage fire, recovering the pilot
and administering critical First Aid care.
12.
22 JULY 2012: FOKKER DR.I
REPLICA (CHARENTE, FRANCE)
The 66 year old pilot and owner
of a Fokker Dr. I triplane replica (FAZAQ), based at the airfield of La
Ferte-Alais in Essonne, was killed when
the aircraft crashed during his display
as part of the Couhé-Vérac meeting in
Kemble fire crew were there in less than 30
Charente. The accident took place only
seconds and began to fight the fire. (Image Bronco
a few hundred meters from the airfield
News Archive)
in full view of the spectators.
The Fokker had been flying with
an SE.5a replica when it departed controlled flight and spun in.14 An eyewitness reported
seeing the aircraft in a spin just before the impact. The airshow was suspended as a result of
the accident.
13.
26 JULY 2012: AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT 8KCAB, (WISCONSIN, USA)
In what can most definitely be categorised as a ‘close call’, one of the airshow industry's
more experienced performers had an 'interesting' incident during his performance at the EAA
AirVenture airshow. Greg Koontz, known for his precise work in a bright red Decathlon, showed
up with a new airplane for this year's show and wound up using up more of his luck and skill
than he cared to expend.
As he undertook his first performance in a brand new Super Decathlon... an airplane he
had picked up at the factory just a few days before... he did not expect what would transpire just
a few short minutes into its inaugural outing. After a solid checkout, Koontz removed the aircraft
from where it had been on display on the grounds of AirVenture, moved it to the flightline, and
inspected it again in preparation for an afternoon flight in front of tens of thousands of Oshkosh
attendees.
"I was cleared to RWY 36L and did a roll on takeoff, followed by a half Cuban 8, a 4
point roll and hammerhead." That done, he "headed back North with multiple rolls to left with a
stop in the inverted attitude, but banked away from the crowd. From there he climbed for 60
seconds, while talking to the spectators about his flight school, the Decathlon and the
maneuvers he was flying", all for the benefit of the airshow crowd.
Koontz lined up to the South, let the nose drop a bit with a slow roll while building up to
150 kts and then levelled out before pulling 4 Gs to start a loop that would have had a snap off
the top.... had he not found himself, suddenly and without warning, laying across the back seat.
The seat failed as he pitched up and through 45°; the only warning he received was "a big
bang" after which he found himself laying across the back seat!
Koontz described a surreal situation... "I found myself laying down in the back seat...
with my body across the rear stick which was applying full aft stick... The plane did 1½ snaps
“Plane crash in Couhé collection: the pilot of 66 years killed”, Charent Libre, 22 July 2012 retrieved 1 January
2013.
14
14
and banked away from crowd to about 90° where the plane stopped (somewhat) rightside up
but with very little energy."
Koontz noted that the airplane was flying "under stall speed, but not stalling because it
was floating through an arc..." but nonetheless leaving him in a position to pull himself up,
retake control of the aircraft and affect a recovery form a bad and highly unusual situation. "If it
had happened in other parts of the routine, it could have gone a lot worse," he noted and cited
"divine intervention" as being on his side.
Koontz described the recovery process... "I picked myself up on the front seat and
regained control of the airplane... sinking slightly... but it wasn't hard to control, but I had to hold
myself up because there was no seat back anymore... but, of course, if the plane was inverted
when it broke, it would have been a wholly different story and a lot more difficult to deal with."
Koontz quickly informed the Airshow Boss that he had a problem and was going to exit
the show... with the show control folks checking in with him a little later to make sure that he
didn't need any assistance... which he declined.
A minute inspection of the failure location, revealed that the seat had broken right at the
root where the diagonal braces (supporting the seat) are welded... it was a clean break right at
the weld. A more thorough inspection revealed that a small truss, normally in place to
redistribute some of the seat loads, was missing and had not been installed when the seat was
built. The affected seat was reportedly part of a defective lot of 10... of which most were either
still at the factory or in display aircraft at the field while a quick check and replacement swapped
out all the affected airplanes very quickly.
As a matter of fact, Koontz's seat was replaced in time for him to fly the next day, though
one can just imagine what was going through his mind as he started that same 4G pitch-up that
had wound up with him flat on his back the day before. The next day, during the Pilot's briefing,
Koontz was presented with a "New 9G seat" by his airshow comrades... one that looked
suspiciously like a toilet seat.15
14.
04 AUGUST 2012: INTERSTATE S-1/L-6 SCOUT: (EDMONTON, ALBERTA,
CANADA)
After putting on a show for the crowd at the Wetaskiwin Airshow, noted airshow pilot,
Kent Pietsch, flying a 1942 Interstate Scout “Jelly Belly”, went down just short of the runway and
was taken to hospital by emergency crews in a stable condition. He said in an interview with
QMI Agency a day before the crash that the reason he does his signature routine, is to show
people in a fun way that airplanes are safe to fly. “One of the shows that I do, I lose parts of the
airplane, like the airplane falls apart in the sky,” he said. “The airplanes are built with a lot of
redundancy and that’s what I’m showing here: That you can lose parts of the plane and still fly.”
The accident happened after the airshow as Pietsch was flying at a low height searching
for the foam aileron he routinely drops as part of the act. He reportedly lost power and could
not reach the runway. An eyewitness reported: “He tacked in to land. The wing hit the wheat
field, ripped the wing off, spun around,” he said. “He hit the dash. He got wounded. He got out
of the plane, wandered around it and laid down in the field.” While Pietsch was OK, the plane
wasn’t so lucky.16
12 AUGUST 12 – JET SAILPLANE (WISCONSIN, USA)
It is always difficult to understand ground incidents involving vehicles and aircraft. The
question of ‘how could it happen?’ comes to mind. Right of way and regulations adequately
cover the relationship between aircraft and vehicle, it is just the human element that remains the
weakest link in the safety chain.
15.
15
16
Aeronews Network “Details Emergee On 'Close Call' During OSH2012 Airshow”, 6 Aug 2012.
Stratford Beacon Herald, “Pilot Crashes at Alberta Air Show”, Dave Lazzarino QMI Agency, 4 August 2012.
15
Bob Carlton's Super Salto Jet Sailplane received damage at the EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh airshow while it was parked at the hangar. Apparently, a truck accidentally drove right
into the sailplane. He was unable to perform the rest of the week and transported the sailplane
back to New Mexico on a trailer. Nobody was injured.
16.
23 AUGUST 2012: IAR 99 HAWK 718 (CRAIOVA, ROMANIA)
A Romanian Air Force Hawk 718
Prototype of the "Centrul de Cercetări şi
Încercări în Zbor" (Centre of Research
and Flight Trials), crashed during an
aerobatics rehearsal for the Batajnica
Airshow 2012. The aircraft crashed
shortly after takeoff near the runway of
Craiova AIP, killing the pilot Colonel
Aurelian Cojocaru.
The other pilot,
Major Mihail-Relu Ioana, who ejected,
was seriously injured due to the
marginal ejection conditions.17 Cause
The Hawk 718 belonged to the Romanian Air
unknown; no official findings by Accident
Force Flight Test Centre. (Image: Adervarul)
Board at this time.
17.
01 SEPTEMBER 2012: AEROVODOCHODY L39C ALBATROS, (IOWA, USA)
It was another tough weekend for the airshow community when an Aero Vodochody
L39C single-engine vintage jet trainer of the five-ship Hoppers Jet Team, sustained substantial
damage when it impacted terrain while maneuvering during the Quad City Airshow performance
at the Davenport Municipal Airport. Glen Smith, the newest member of the Hoppers Jet Team,
sustained fatal injuries.
The airplane was registered to the Warbird Education Foundation, Texas. Shortly before
the accident, the three L-39s were traveling in a westerly direction away from the spectators.
According to the lead pilot, the aircraft were executing a crossover break, in which the accident
airplane was in the left wing position.
During the crossover break, Lead entered a climbing maneuver, the left wing aircraft
entered a right turn and the right wing aircraft entered a left turn with adequate longitudinal
spacing. During the maneuver, the accident aircraft entered the right turn, descended, and
impacted the terrain off field and although a post-impact fire ensued, no collateral injuries were
reported.
The catastrophic impact was followed by a large unsurvivable fireball. Smith did not
make a Mayday call or suggest any sign of distress before the crash and no evidence of any inflight collision with the other airplanes was observed. A squadron of planes flew over the crash
site the next day in the “missing man” formation before the airshow continued.18
18.
07 SEPTEMBER 2012: GOODYEAR F2G SUPER CORSAIR (NORTH DAKOTA, USA)
From records studied over the last few years, it would appear that there seems to be one
‘black weekend’ during each display season; 2012 was no different. The period 7 September to
16 September seemed particularly abysmal for the aviation community as a number of beloved
flyers were injured or killed by a number of tragic circumstances, six accidents in nine
days....and fate claimed some major names in the warbird community.
17
18
“A Military Plane Crashes in Romania”, B2 News Bruxelles 2, 23 August 2012.
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA602, downloaded NTSB 9 December 2012.
16
Famed warbird pilot, Bob
Odegaard, one of the men responsible
for the formation of the Fargo Air
Museum and the Fargo AirSho, was
practicing for the weekend’s Wings &
Wheels Airshow at the Barnes County
Municipal Airport when his 1945’s
Super Corsair, one of only two still
flying, went down.
A number of witnesses reported
that during the barrel roll, the airplane
pitched to about 10º nose up and rolled
left until about 10º past inverted, at
The remains of Bob Odegaard’s Corsair crash at
which point the roll slowed and
the Barnes County Municipal Airport in Valley City,
ultimately stopped. The airplane then
(Image: D. Michael Vosburg/Forum Photo Editor)
pitched down and started to pull through
from a very low height. The airplane
subsequently impacted the ground in about a 10º nose down, wings level attitude. Initial ground
impact was located about 500 feet from the approach threshold of runway 31 with a debris path
about 450 feet in length. The airplane was fragmented during the impact sequence and a post
impact fire ensued.
Records indicated that it entered service with the United States Navy in February 1946
and was restored and re-issued an experimental airworthiness certificate for exhibition and air
racing purposes in July 2011 as Race #74. 19 The scheduled airshow in Valley City was
cancelled as other aircraft adjacent to the impact point, picked up damage from the post impact
shrapnel.
19.
08 SEPTEMBER 2012: DE HAVILLAND DH89 DRAGON RAPIDE (DUXFORD, UK)
In a year marked by good first responder support, the aircraft marshallers were on the
scene quickly enough to extinguish the engine fire on the Rapide during start up, even before
the fire engines arrived.
As was the Duxford tradition,
the Rapide was being used for
passenger flights before the official
start of the annual Duxford Airshow.
An eyewitness reported that the right
engine seemed to be turning for longer
than usual, then stopped; there was a
‘puff’ of smoke and flames leapt into
the air over the outer right wing. The
marshallers had it extinguished before
the fire trucks arrived but the fire had
destroyed the wing covering on the
right lower wing.
The fire was probably caused
Despite the rapid rate at which fabric and wood
by
an
exhaust
fire during the start. Not
burn, the marshallers extinguished the fire before
a
problem
on
metal
aircraft where you
the fire crew arrived. (Image: Clare Scott)
just keep cranking until and it
19
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA615, N5577N retrieved 1 January 2013.
17
extinguishes; bit different with a fabric one. This was not the first time it has happened to this
aircraft!”20
20.
09 SEPTEMBER 2012: BAe HAWK T MK. I, (PORTRUSH, UK)
The Red Arrows suffered two incidents during the Northern Ireland Airshow at Portrush.
Immediately after take off from Belfast International Airport, Red 3 suffered a fuel pump failure
and was forced to return to base. Several minutes later, as the team arrived over the crowd at
Portrush, Red 4 hit a bird and was forced to land back at Belfast Airport. Losing the key
formation positions of No.3 and No.4, the Red Arrows were forced to display with only the
Synchro Pair – Red 6 and Red 7.21
21.
11 SEPTEMBER 2012: HAWKER FB.11 SEA FURY (NEVADA, USA)
A highly modified 1951 Hawker Sea Fury, nicknamed "Furias," piloted by Matt Jackson,
departed the runway as the right landing gear collapsed during the landing run at the annual
National Championship Air Races and Airshow in Reno. Jackson had just finished a qualifying
run on the 8.1 mile course in his modified Hawker Sea Fury. The landing initially appeared to
be solid, but then the right gear collapsed and the aircraft veered off the runway; Jackson was
fortunately able to walk away from the incident uninjured.
In a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigatorin-charge (IIC), the pilot reported that following an uneventful takeoff, he had a malfunction with
retracting the landing gear. After several attempts, the landing gear retracted, and he
performed his race course qualifying lap. Upon exiting the closed race course, he attempted to
extend the landing gear. After about twenty minutes of troubleshooting the landing gear, it
appeared to be down, however, with the right main landing gear warning light illuminated. The
pilot initiated a precautionary landing on runway 14 and during the landing roll, the right main
landing gear collapsed and the airplane exited the right side of the runway.
Examination revealed that the landing gear rotary selector valve seal had failed, which
allowed undercarriage hydraulic pressure to bypass which would preclude the landing gear
retraction system from operating normally.22
22.
16 SEPTEMBER 2012: YAKOLEV 52 (ALABAMA, USA)
Pilot, George Myers, who was the owner of the airport, and Christian Schmidtt, a 17year-old student pilot, who was also on board of the Yak 52, went down at the Moontown Airport
Fly In. Three Yak-52 airplanes were flying from west to east in trail, each slightly lower than the
one in front. The lead aircraft initiated a barrel roll, followed by the second aircraft in the
formation.
When the third airplane performed the barrel roll, as the airplane reached the wings level
attitude, the nose of the airplane was in a high pitch angle. The airplane began to descend in
that nose high attitude. Then the airplane’s nose dropped below the horizon and it was lost
from sight behind the trees that separated the open field and the airport’s grass runway. A loud
impact noise was heard and smoke was seen immediately rising behind the trees23 . Every
year the question is asked: “Why carry passengers on a display flight”? When will display pilots
realise that a display is not the time or place for passengers to tag along for low level
aerobatics?
23.
29 SEPTEMBER 2012: FFA/SIAI-MARCHETTI AS/SA 202 BRAVO (BANDUNG,
INDONESIA)
20
“Vintage Plane’s Engine Catches Fire At Airshow”, Royston Weekly News, 9 September 2012.
Aerobaticsteams.net, posted 09 September 2012.
22 NTSB Identification: WPR12LA422, N4434P retrieved 01 January 2013.
23 NTSB Preliminary Report; NTSB Identification: ERA12FA565.
21
18
An AS/SA 202 Bravo piloted by two
former air force pilots, Air Commodore (rtd)
Nurman Lubis and Lt Col (rtd) Tonny Hartono
and owned by the Indonesian Aerosport
Federation, crashed while performing their
display at the Bandung Airshow at the Husein
Sastranegara Airport to celebrate the city’s 202nd
anniversary. Control of the aircraft was lost
during its aerobatic routine and spun ‘out of
control’ before crashing into an Indonesian Air
Force logistics warehouse, which was closed at
the time. Both pilots were killed.24
Fortunately, the Indonesian Air Force
logistics warehouse was not occupied
when the AS/SA 201 impacted the
building.
24.
15
NOVEMBER
2012:
KOREAN
AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES TA-50B (SEOUL,
SOUTH KOREA)
In what would have been regarded as an
extremely successful year for the Black Eagles aerobatic display team, their European
successes of June and July, were soured by an accident when one of the pilots was killed as his
KAI T-50B crashed during training, soon after takeoff, in the area of Hoengsong.
South Korean investigators concluded that the reason for a T-50B crash, was a
maintenance technician failing to connect a wire and reactivate the vertical flight controls after
making repairs. The failure in the flight control system caused the T-50B to lose control in flight.
The commanding officer of the aircraft maintenance unit committed suicide as a result of the
crash and his subordinate’s role in it.
Making their first ever appearance in the UK, On 1 July 2012, the Black Eagles were
awarded the Boeing Trophy for best display at the 17th Waddington International Air Show. On
8 July 2012, the Black Eagles were awarded the King Hussein Memorial Sword, for the "Best
Overall Flying Demonstration" and the “As The Crow Flies Trophy” at the Royal International Air
Tattoo.25
25.
22 NOVEMBER 2012: ROCKWELL OV-10 BRONCO (CARACAS, VENEZUELA)
In what should have been a celebratory occasion for the Venezuelan Air Force
commemorating its 92nd anniversary to celebrate Bolivian Military Aviation, two separate
accidents claimed the lives of one of its pilots and four aircraft in three separate accidents. A
Venezuelan Air Force Aviación MilitarBolivariana Venezolan OV-10 Bronco crashed near El
Libertador Air Base, Palo Negro after a mid-air collision with another Bronco during the
rehearsal for the parade, scheduled for 27 November. Major Jose Rafael Marin a flight
instructor, was killed while the two pilots in the other Bronco, managed to eject successfully.26
26.
27 NOVEMBER 2012: HONGDU K-8W KARAKORUM (CARACAS, VENEZUELA)
Following on from the previous week’s Bronco midair collision, an K-8 trainer crashed
during the actual military parade and flying exhibition celebrating the 92nd anniversary of the
Venezuelan Air Force. Astonishingly, the S&R Cougar helicopter sent to rescue the two pilots
that had successfully ejected, also went down; fortunately, none of the crew of the Cougar
helicopter were injured.
“Two Pilots Die in Plane Crash During Bandung Airshow”, The Jakarta Post, 29 September 2012.
“For Want Of A Wire”, Strategy Page, retrieved 6 Jan 2013.
26 Military plane and helicopter crash on anniversary of Venezuela's air force; The Associated Press, 27 November
2012
24
25
19
Venezuela's information minister, Ernesto
Villegas, said in a message posted on his Twitter
account, that the K-8 plummeted to the ground at
Libertador Air Base as a result of mechanical
failure; engine failure is summised.
Conclusion
Within the safety industry, icebergs are a
common and useful metaphor. Ninety percent of
an iceberg's mass is underwater and undetectable
from the surface with just ten percent visible
above the waterline. Similarly, actual accidents
are just the tip of the “safety iceberg” with
incidents, mishaps and near misses making up the
The crew eject from the Venezuelan
other 90% of hazardous “events.” Not nearly as
Hongdu K-8 Karakorum (Image: ©Erwin
visible, these “non-accident” events typically get
Fuguet Gedde)
just a fraction of the attention that accidents
receive.
An iceberg expert will tell you that if you reduced the mass of ice under the water, there
would be a corresponding reduction in the amount of ice above the water. Put more simply,
removing 20% of the submerged ice would remove 20% of the visible ice. Similarly, if we used
education and improved practices to reduce the number of incidents, mishaps and near misses,
the overall number of accidents would be reduced, creating a safer and more professional air
show environment...a goal that we all support.27
27
ICAS Ops Bull retrieved 4 Jan 13.
20
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Date
03
Feb
2012
13
Mar
2012
23
Mar
2012
30 Apr
2012
Aircraft Type
AIDC AT-3
Category
Trainer
Jet
Accident
Midair
Collision(?)
Fatal
0
Eject
2 Yes
Event
Display
Practice
Location
Pingtun,
Taiwan
Canadair NF-5
Tiger
Turkish Stars
Aerovodochody
L-39C Albatros
Black Diamond
Zlin 226
Fighter
Jet
FIT?
(Unknown)
1 Pilot
No
Display
Practice
Anatolia,
Turkey
Wheelsup
Landing???
0
N/A
Airshow
Florida,
USA
LOC
(Unknown)
1 Pilot
N/A
Airshow
Erfurt,
Germany
16
May
2012
03
Jun
2012
15
Jun
2012
18
Jun
2012
29
Jun
2012
01 Jul
2012
Canadair CT114 Tutor
Snowbirds
Fairey Firefly
Vintage
Trainer
Jet
Vintage
Trainer
Propeller
Trainer
Jet
Birdstrike
0
N/A
Airshow
Moosejaw,
Canada
Vintage
Fighter
Propeller
Sport
Aero
Mechanical
(Undercarriage)
0
N/A
Airshow
California,
USA
Rolls Aileron
(Engine)
1 Pilot
Inj
N/A
Airshow
Idaho,
USA
Hot Air Balloon
Balloon
Environmental
(Wind)
1 Pax
Inj
N/A
Airshow
Nebraska,
USA
Vintage
Trainer
Jet
Vintage
Light
Utility
Vintage
Fighter
Propeller
Vintage
Fighter
Propeller
Sport
Aero
LOC
(Loop)
1 Pilot
N/A
Airshow
Klerksdorp,
South Africa
LOC
Engine Fail??
1 Pilot
N/A
Airshow
Old Warden,
UK
FIT
(Split S)
1 Pilot
Inj
No
Display
Practice
Gloustershire
UK
LOC
(Unknown)
1 Pilot
N/A
Airshow
Charente,
France
Mechanical
(Seat)
0
N/A
Airshow
Wisconsin,
USA
Mechanical
(Engine)
0
N/A
Airshow
Alberta,
Canada
Jet Sailplane
Vintage
Trainer
Propeller
Glider
0
N/A
Airshow
Wisconsin,
USA
IAR 99 Hawk
718
Trainer
Jet
Ground
Collision
(Vehicle)
FIT
(Unknown)
1 Yes
Display
Practice
Craiova,
Romania
Aerovodochody
L-39C
Albatross
Vintage
Trainer
Jet
FIT
(Crossover
Break)
1 Pilot
1 Pilot
Inj
1 Pilot
N/A
Airshow
Iowa,
USA
Christen Eagle
11
10 Jul
2012
Aerovodochody
L-39
Albatross
De Havilland
DH-53
Hummingbird
Rockwell OV10 Bronco
12
22 Jul
2012
Fokker DR.1
Replica
13
26 Jul
2012
14
04
Aug
2012
12
Aug
2012
23
Aug
2012
01
Sep
2012
American
Champion
Super
Decathlon
Interstate S1/L-6 Scout
10
15
16
17
21
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
07
Sep
2012
08
Sep
2012
09
Sep
2012
11
Sep
2012
16
Sep
2012
29
Sep
2012
15
Nov
2012
Goodyear F2G
Super Corsair
22
Nov
2012
27
Nov
2012
Rockwell OV10 Bronco
De Havilland
DH-89 Dragon
Rapide
BAe Hawk T.
Mk 1
Red Arrows
Hawker Sea
Fury FB.11
Yakolev 52
Sia Marchetti
AS 202 Bravo
KAI TA-50B
Black Eagles
Hongdu K-8
Karakorum
Vintage
Fighter
Propeller
Vintage
Transport
Propeller
Trainer
Jet
FIT
(Barrel Roll)
1 Pilot
N/A
Display
Practice
North Dakota
USA
Mechanical
(Engine Fire
Start Up)
Birdstrike
0
N/A
Airshow
Duxford,
USA
0
N/A
Airshow
Portrush,
UK
Vintage
Fighter
Propeller
Vintage
Trainer
Propeller
Light
Utility
Propeller
Trainer
Jet
Mechanical
(Undercarriage)
0
N/A
Airshow
Nevada,
USA
FIT
(Barrel Roll)
1 Pilot
1 Pax
N/A
Airshow
Alabama,
USA
LOC
(Unknown)
2 Pilot
N/A
Airshow
Bandung,
Indonesia
Mechanical
Human error
(Flight Control
System)
Midair Collision
(?)
1 Pilot
No
Display
Practice
Seoul,
South Korea
1 Pilot
1 No
2 Yes
Flypast
Practice
Caracas,
Venezuela
Mechanical
(Unknown)
0
2 Yes
Flypast
Caracas,
Venezuela
Vintage
Fighter
Propeller
Trainer
Jet