N7037J

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 30, 1996, at 1230 eastern daylight time (edt), a Mankovich Revenge, N7037J, operated by an airline transport pilot, was destroyed when during descent for landing, the airplane departed controlled flight. The airplane subsequently impacted in a corn field 4 miles northeast of Jeffersonville, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The business flight was part of a ferry formation to an airshow performance with three other Formula V class airplanes being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was on file. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated at Seymour, Indiana, at 1210 edt.

According to officials in the Formula V Air Racing Association, two days of practice and race familiarization flights for new Formula V air racing pilots were held at Freeman Municipal Airport, Seymour, Indiana, beginning on August 28, 1996. At the practice sessions, the pilot, a new Formula V air racing pilot, was to demonstrate competency in the maneuvers required by the Formula V Air Racing Association to compete in air races.

According to one witness who spoke to the pilot several times on August 28, 1996, the pilot said that he experienced smoke in the cockpit and had to cut short a qualifying flight where he was required to demonstrate 180-degree rolls to inverted flight, both to the left and right. He did not accomplish the maneuvers.

The pilot told the witness that there was a small hole in the firewall and with the help of some of the other air race pilots, he changed a hose. He also told the witness that the temperature in the cockpit was 185 degrees and that he was very hot.

The witness spoke to the pilot again on August 29, 1996. The pilot told the witness that during one of his practice flights, he ran out of fuel and had to perform a dead-stick landing on another runway. The pilot accomplished the landing without incident. The pilot again mentioned that the cockpit was extremely hot and that he was very uncomfortable.

A witness, who was the lead airplane in the formation flight said that prior to the flight, the four pilots held a pilot briefing and went over emergency procedures. They had planned the route of flight to follow Interstate 65 south to Clark County Municipal Airport, Jeffersonville, Indiana at 2,000 above ground level. "Our route was going to take us over Scottsburg airport, so if anyone had a problem, they could land there. It was half-way down." The witness said that they all refueled at Freeman Municipal Airport, Seymour, Indiana, prior to the flight and had plenty of fuel to make the flight. "We took off in a wide echelon. I gave [the pilot] big hand signals from the cockpit; we wanted to be spread out. We climbed out at 120 miles per hour, turned [south], and followed the interstate down." The witness said that the pilot's flying was erratic. "He [the pilot] passed me up, then fell back. When we got to Scottsburg, everything looked okay. I looked back, everyone was there. As we got to Clark County, I didn't see him. I didn't see [the pilot] pull up and away. I didn't even find out about the accident until I was on the ground."

A witness who flew in the formation flight as the number three airplane said that the pilot's flying along the route was erratic. He said that, "he had a hard time staying in position. He would fly ahead, then drop back." The witness said, "We were one mile north of the field, heading southbound, when [the pilot] pulled straight up, pulled left to the east at full power, then went into a slight descent." The witness said that he flew up along side of the pilot's airplane to try and get his attention. "I couldn't get his eye. He would not even look at me. I chased him about 5 miles before I lost sight of him. The last time I saw him, he was below 500 feet."

Another witness who flew in the formation flight as the number four airplane said that before they took off, the pilot expressed concern to the witness about his fuel. The witness said that he checked the pilot's airplane. "It [the fuel level] was halfway below the top where it should be, about 8 to 9 gallons." The witness said that they "took off around noon and headed south east until we intercepted the interstate." The witness said that during the first couple of minutes of the flight, the pilot made some altitude deviations. At the halfway point on the route, the witness said that he saw the pilot pull ahead, then return to the formation. The witness said that he only saw the pilot do this the one time. "As we got close to Clark County airport, we began to drift the formation further left toward the airport. As we were just getting to the airport, I saw a Sabreliner cross in front of us. He was a long way off and heading down in a big hurry. I knew he wasn't going to be a conflict. Just as I saw the Sabreliner ahead, [the pilot] pitched up sharply, about 30 degrees, and began a slow left turn followed by a gentle descent. He continued the descent until I lost sight of him. We went into the airport and landed. Five minutes after we landed, we found out that something had gone wrong."

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held certificates as an airline transport pilot, a certified flight instructor in single and multi-engine instrument airplanes, and an airframe and powerplant mechanic. The pilot also held a Statement of Aerobatic Competency card and a certificate authorizing aerial pesticide application.

According to the pilot's logbook, the pilot had 8,831.6 total flying hours; 8,290.7 hours in single engine land airplanes; and 7,826.9 hours as a flight instructor.

The pilot's business partner said that when she spoke to the pilot the day prior to the accident, the pilot said that he had to bring his logbook up to date so that he could meet show requirements. This required putting flight time in his logbook.

According to the pilot's logbook and two witnesses, one who was the pilot's business partner, the pilot had logged approximately 4.0 total hours in the Revenge airplane.

The Formula V Air Racing Association had a Letter of Formula V Air Race Pilot Competency, dated August 29, 1996, on file for the pilot.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was a homebuilt kit constructed by Stanley J. Mankovich, Jr. The airplane was issued a special airworthiness certificate, experimental, amateur-built airplane, on March 16, 1989. According to the aircraft logbook, the airplane made its first flight on April 2, 1989.

According to the builder, the airplane was built and used predominantly for air racing in the Formula V air racing category. The builder flew the airplane in air race competitions between 1989 and 1993. In 1993, the builder decided to discontinue air racing and put the airplane up for sale. During 1994, the airplane continued to be flown in Formula V class air races, by other air racing pilots.

According to a witness who was responsible for transporting the airplane to airshows during the 1994 Formula V air racing season, the airplane was involved in two incidents where the airplane sustained substantial damage and required major repair. Neither accident was reported to the National Transportation Safety Board. The first accident occurred on September 9, 1994, at Virginia Beach, Virginia, when during landing following a qualifying air race, the airplane was ground looped. The witness said that the tail wheel was broken, the left wing tip was bent up and the main landing gear spar box was bent. The witness stated that members of the Formula V Air Racing Association grouped together to repair the airplane. The second accident occurred on October 9, 1996, at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, when on landing from a race, the airplane was ground looped again. The witness stated that the pilot "stepped on the brakes and one grabbed sooner than the other. The airplane spun around and stood on its nose damaging the spinner and breaking off one of the propeller blades." The left wing was bent. "A couple of the ribs in the wing tip were bent. The left main landing gear was bent underneath the airplane." The airplane sat in the witness' garage for several months before an airframe and power plant mechanic, who was also a Formula V racing pilot, came to retrieve the airplane and fix it.

Another witness, a Formula V air racing pilot, who observed the incident at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, said that the left wing outer skin panel, ribs and spar were bent back. The witness stated that the airplane did not participate in the 1995 Formula V air racing season.

A third witness, an airframe and powerplant mechanic and Formula V air racing pilot, who observed the incident at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, confirmed that the airplane had been ground looped and confirmed the damage to the airplane's wing and landing gear. The witness said that after the incident, he installed another landing gear on the airplane.

According to his wife, the airplane was purchased by the pilot-owner on April 25, 1996. The airplane was first flown by the pilot-owner on May 1, 1996. The airplane's last recorded annual inspection was performed on May 1, 1996, by the pilot- owner, who was also an airframe and powerplant mechanic. Previous to that inspection, the last annual inspection was performed on August 8, 1995. No record of major repairs during 1994 or 1995 was found in the aircraft logbook. The aircraft logbook indicated that as of July 10, 1996, the airplane had logged 89.6 hours.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The NTSB on site investigation began on September 30, 1996 at 0800 edt.

The accident site was located on the edge of a cornfield 25 feet west of Bud Prather Road, a winding, predominately north-south running paved road. The cornfield was slightly rolling in feature. At the time of the accident the corn stalks were approximately 4 feet in height. Examination of the accident...