L-39 goes down in TIX

[NavajoKing]

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2007/3/16/jet_crash_at_airshow.html

 

[The_Russian]

Looks like spatial disorientation or G-Loc.

Very Sad. That is one of my home town airshows.

 

[NavajoKing]

I didnt see any video, you would think he would have punched out.

 

[na265]

I used to spend alot of time in TIX. Talked to one of the guys I used to fly with and he said they were having the airshow this weekend. However, the show was being delayed bc wx. Very sad, God's speed.

 

[The_Russian]

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

Click on the video link. Someone filmed the whole thing. There will be two videos to choose from.

From what I understand, the ejection seats are "de-energized" for civilian use. Not sure about his aircraft.

 

[Big Duke Six]

Very sad. RIP.

From what I understand, "hot" seats are optional. They are very expensive to maintain however, so most civilian a/c have cold seats.

 

[mzaharis]

I remember reading someplace that there has not been a successful (survived) ejection from a civilian L-39 that had them enabled.

Tragic accident.

 

[414Flyer]

http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070221/LOCAL/70221005/1080/community

 

[moonlight]

I remember reading someplace that there has not been a successful (survived) ejection from a civilian L-39 that had them enabled.

Tragic accident.

Not true...the esteemed Robert "Hoot" Gibson, of NASA and Reno air racing fame has done it, and he's still around to tell the tale. He was instructing in an L-39 at Williams Gateway in Mesa AZ and during the course of an SFO (simulated flame out) he let the student lose control of situation and they were going to land short (and did), so he punched out, after initial impact, actually. Interestingly, the guy in front stayed w/ the jet and survived the crash. Here is a link to the NTSB report: http://ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001211X11106&key=1

If you know of someone affiliated w/ the CJAA (Classic Jet Aircraft Association), ask them for the latest magazine, it has a really interesting article that includes a time line of notable ejections from the inception of the ejection seat to the present. It was authored by Mike Paradise, a pilot from the Denver area that is very involved in the civilian warbird scene, currently flying a Jet Provost and a Folland Gnat.

BTW, we keep the ejection seats hot in the ones we fly...for the very reason that they exist. We brief each and every passenger on their operation. It's not as expensive as it used to be, and the FAA is now allowing 9 years between seat overhauls. I know of several civilian warbird pilots that will not fly one that has the seats deactivated, although it is generally understood that using them is reserved as the absolute last resort, when jettisoning the canopy and bailing out is no longer even an option. In the T-33, it boils down to two situations: First, a catastrophic structural failure, such as what would result from a mid-air; second, an engine fire. The push-rods for the elevators are routed above the engine, and in the event of a fire, they have a nasty habit of melting, resulting in loss of control.

 

[Axel]

There was a somewhat similar accident at HEF in the 90's. Big airshow, local pilot went into a hammerhead with his Sukhoi (sp?) at show center with almost enough energy. Reversal at the top, stalled at the bottom and killed himself in front of thousands.

The similarities don't end there. The guy was a local dentist. He had bought the airplane about a year before and had just recently been signed off for acro below the 1500 foot floor. By all accounts he was a very good pilot-all the way up until the time he went into a hammerhead with insufficient energy and no altitude margin.

I don't fly acro so I guess I can't speak to the skill of these men. I'll tell ya this, though. If I'm gonna get my teeth worked on, it will not be by a professional pilot who by all accounts is a very good amateur dentist. If I'm going to court I don't want to be represented by a professional pilot who is by all accounts a very good amateur lawyer. Airshow acrobatics should be left to professionals, as should dentistry and law.

$0.02