1

DRAFT AIRSHOW ACCIDENT REVIEW 2012The 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 EVENTSFAA 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

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Airshow Accidents/Incidents 2003 to 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 g-strain, 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 AirshowsICAS 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 ArrowsAcross 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 low-level 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 made a call to take a collective step back and examine how the airshow industry should

3 Red Arrows Kirsty Quits After Deahs of Two Pals”, The Sun, 13 January 2012.

5

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, pre-show 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 2012In 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 OVERVIEW2012 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.

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.

USA UK

Canad

a

Turkey

Venezu

ela

France

German

y

Indonesia

South Afric

a

Romania

South Korea

Taiw

an0123456789

10

Accidents/Incidents by Country 2012

Acci

dent

s/In

cide

nts

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.

Pilots Killed; 13

Pilots In-jured; 2

Pax Killed; 1Pax Injured; 1

Airshow Accident and Incident Casualties 2012

Mechanical38%

Loss of Control15%

FIT15%

Midair Colli-sion8%

Un-known

8%

Ground Colli-sion4%

Environmental12%

Airshow Accident Causal Factors 2012

8

Causal FactorsFor 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 contribution had increased so significantly? 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 vintage aircraft accidents were attributable to mechanical or structural failures. Conclusion, 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 indicator to monitor into the future.

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 have improved their judgement and aircraft handling skills and that maintenance efforts have now regressed below standard?

Event CategorisationThe 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 that the pressure to perform during the actual event, watched by spectators, places additional stress on the pilot to push the display to the limit. There are often cases in which the conditions during rehearsal are less than ideal and pilots then elect to postpone rehearsals until conditions improve. The problem is that on show day, under less than 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

Man42%

Machine38%

Medium12%

Unknown8 %

Airshow Accident and Incident Causal Factors 2012.

Airshows65%

Display Practice

23%

Air Race Re-

hearsal4 %

Flypast4 %Flypast Rehearsal

4 %

Airshow Accident/ Incident Events 2012

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.

OVERVIEW OF ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS 20121. 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 flight. The planes took off from Gangshan Air Force Base and collided thirty minutes later at 16,000 feet and a speed of 300 miles per hour while training in preparation for the upcoming display season.

The left horizontal tail of Lead was ripped off after the collision, both pilots, Lt. Col. Chang Kuo-chiang, the back seat instructor, and 1st Lt. Tseng Kuo-wen under training, ejected successfully; the other aircraft managed to return and land safely 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

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

Trainer Jet

25 %

Vin-tage

Fighter Prop21 %

Sport Aero11 %

Vin-tage Jet

Trainer11 %

Vin-tage

Trainer Prop11 %

Fighter Jet 3 %

Bal-loon3 %

Sailplane3 %

Vin-tage Transport Prop4 %

Trainer Prop4 %

Vintage Light Util

4 %

Airshow Accident / Incident Aircraft Categories 2012.

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

5. 16 MAY 2012: CANADAIR CT-114 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 in El Cajon. The pilot was uninjured, but the plane suffered fairly extensive 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

8 “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.

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)

Mechanical failure remains a constant threat, not only to the display pilot, but the event organiser. (Image: Chris Moore)

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 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 NTSB Identification: WPR12LA265 Preliminary Findings, retrieved 1 January 2013. 12 “Hot Air Balloon Crash At Air Show Sends 1 To The Hospital”, ABC News, 18 June 2012.

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)

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 surviving airworthy example of the fifteen built. Mr Roche had been the chief pilot for the Shuttleworth Collection, but stepped 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 front undercarriage dug in, pulling the nose cone off and both propellers. De Bruyn, lucky to be alive, managed to open 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.

13 “Gulf War veteran pilot killed after historic aircraft crashes in front of 600 stunned spectators at airshow”, Mail Online, 1 July 2012.

Although no official Accident Board findings have been released to date, initial eyewitness reports indicate engine power loss as the primary causal factor.

The Bronco slid across the main runway, breaking up as it continued for about 500 yards, coming to a stop some 100 feet from the tower. (Image GWAAC)

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 (F-AZAQ), 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 Charente. The accident took place only a few hundred meters from the airfield 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

14 “Plane crash in Couhé collection: the pilot of 66 years killed”, Charent Libre, 22 July 2012 retrieved 1 January

2013.

Kemble fire crew were there in less than 30 seconds and began to fight the fire. (Image Bronco News Archive)

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

15. 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 Aeronews Network “Details Emergee On 'Close Call' During OSH2012 Airshow”, 6 Aug 2012.16 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 unknown; no official findings by Accident 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 in-flight 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 “A Military Plane Crashes in Romania”, B2 News Bruxelles 2, 23 August 2012.18 NTSB Identification: CEN12LA602, downloaded NTSB 9 December 2012.

The Hawk 718 belonged to the Romanian Air Force Flight Test Centre. (Image: Adervarul)

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 which point the roll slowed and ultimately stopped. The airplane then 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 by an exhaust fire during the start. Not a problem on metal aircraft where you just keep cranking until and it

19 NTSB Identification: CEN12LA615, N5577N retrieved 1 January 2013.

The remains of Bob Odegaard’s Corsair crash at the Barnes County Municipal Airport in Valley City, (Image: D. Michael Vosburg/Forum Photo Editor)

Despite the rapid rate at which fabric and wood burn, the marshallers extinguished the fire before the fire crew arrived. (Image: Clare Scott)

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) investigator-in-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 17-

year-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 2012.21 Aerobaticsteams.net, posted 09 September 2012.22 NTSB Identification: WPR12LA422, N4434P retrieved 01 January 2013.23 NTSB Preliminary Report; NTSB Identification: ERA12FA565.

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

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.

24 “Two Pilots Die in Plane Crash During Bandung Airshow”, The Jakarta Post, 29 September 2012.25 “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

Fortunately, the Indonesian Air Force logistics warehouse was not occupied when the AS/SA 201 impacted the building.

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.

ConclusionWithin 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 other 90% of hazardous “events.” Not nearly as visible, these “non-accident” events typically get 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.

The crew eject from the Venezuelan Hongdu K-8 Karakorum (Image: ©Erwin Fuguet Gedde)

20

Date Aircraft Type Category Accident Fatal Eject Event Location1 03

Feb 2012

AIDC AT-3 TrainerJet

Midair Collision(?)

0 2 Yes Display Practice

Pingtun, Taiwan

2 13 Mar 2012

Canadair NF-5 TigerTurkish Stars

FighterJet

FIT?(Unknown)

1 Pilot No Display Practice

Anatolia,Turkey

3 23 Mar 2012

Aerovodochody L-39C AlbatrosBlack Diamond

Vintage TrainerJet

Wheelsup Landing???

0 N/A Airshow Florida,USA

4 30 Apr 2012

Zlin 226 Vintage Trainer Propeller

LOC(Unknown)

1 Pilot N/A Airshow Erfurt, Germany

5 16 May 2012

Canadair CT-114 TutorSnowbirds

TrainerJet

Birdstrike 0 N/A Airshow Moosejaw,Canada

6 03 Jun 2012

Fairey Firefly Vintage Fighter Propeller

Mechanical(Undercarriage)

0 N/A Airshow California,USA

7 15 Jun 2012

Christen Eagle Sport Aero

Rolls Aileron(Engine)

1 Pilot Inj

N/A Airshow Idaho,USA

8 18 Jun 2012

Hot Air Balloon Balloon Environmental (Wind)

1 Pax Inj

N/A Airshow Nebraska,USA

9 29 Jun 2012

Aerovodochody L-39Albatross

Vintage TrainerJet

LOC(Loop)

1 Pilot N/A Airshow Klerksdorp,South Africa

10 01 Jul 2012

De Havilland DH-53 Hummingbird

Vintage Light Utility

LOCEngine Fail??

1 Pilot N/A Airshow Old Warden,UK

11 10 Jul 2012

Rockwell OV-10 Bronco

Vintage Fighter Propeller

FIT(Split S)

1 Pilot Inj

No Display Practice

Gloustershire UK

12 22 Jul 2012

Fokker DR.1 Replica

Vintage Fighter Propeller

LOC(Unknown)

1 Pilot N/A Airshow Charente, France

13 26 Jul 2012

American Champion Super Decathlon

Sport Aero

Mechanical(Seat)

0 N/A Airshow Wisconsin, USA

14 04 Aug 2012

Interstate S-1/L-6 Scout

Vintage Trainer Propeller

Mechanical(Engine)

0 N/A Airshow Alberta, Canada

15 12 Aug 2012

Jet Sailplane Glider Ground Collision(Vehicle)

0 N/A Airshow Wisconsin, USA

16 23 Aug 2012

IAR 99 Hawk 718

TrainerJet

FIT(Unknown)

1 Pilot1 Pilot Inj

1 Yes Display Practice

Craiova, Romania

17 01 Sep 2012

Aerovodochody L-39C Albatross

Vintage TrainerJet

FIT(Crossover Break)

1 Pilot N/A Airshow Iowa,USA

21

18 07 Sep 2012

Goodyear F2G Super Corsair

Vintage Fighter Propeller

FIT(Barrel Roll)

1 Pilot N/A Display Practice

North DakotaUSA

19 08 Sep 2012

De Havilland DH-89 Dragon Rapide

Vintage Transport Propeller

Mechanical (Engine Fire Start Up)

0 N/A Airshow Duxford, USA

20 09 Sep 2012

BAe Hawk T. Mk 1Red Arrows

TrainerJet

Birdstrike 0 N/A Airshow Portrush,UK

21 11 Sep 2012

Hawker Sea Fury FB.11

Vintage Fighter Propeller

Mechanical(Undercarriage)

0 N/A Airshow Nevada,USA

22 16 Sep 2012

Yakolev 52 Vintage Trainer Propeller

FIT(Barrel Roll)

1 Pilot1 Pax

N/A Airshow Alabama, USA

23 29 Sep 2012

Sia Marchetti AS 202 Bravo

Light Utility Propeller

LOC(Unknown)

2 Pilot N/A Airshow Bandung, Indonesia

24 15 Nov 2012

KAI TA-50BBlack Eagles

TrainerJet

MechanicalHuman error (Flight Control System)

1 Pilot No Display Practice

Seoul,South Korea

25 22 Nov 2012

Rockwell OV-10 Bronco

Vintage Fighter Propeller

Midair Collision(?)

1 Pilot 1 No2 Yes

Flypast Practice

Caracas, Venezuela

26 27 Nov 2012

Hongdu K-8 Karakorum

TrainerJet

Mechanical(Unknown)

0 2 Yes Flypast Caracas, Venezuela