Plane crash during Air Show in Indonesia

Never forget the power of two simple words: "sort of".

As in, "The pilot survived - sort of".
 
It looks kind of like the pilot was going to fly inverted, but then changed his mind and decided to complete the roll.
I can't believe the guy lived. That was a big, sideways impact, followed by an avgas inferno.
I guess the wing broke the fall, but I have no idea how he was not Kentucky Fried Pilot.
 
Re: Decathlon low-level roll, crash

TangoWhiskey said:
Already being discussed.

Not sure how that video proves "impromptu, unrehearsed maneuvering". I think pilots tend to do acrobatics in acrobatic airplanes at airshows... and they tend to rehearse, too. ;)
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Thanks for the tip about acro planes and pilots. :thumbsup: How much aerobatic experience do you have? The roll here was so poorly executed that it fits the profile of someone who gets suckered into flying beyond their abilities due to the conditions I mentioned. I think it can serve as an appropriate reminder. And you can call anything an "airshow". If I killed myself in my aerobatic practice area, it would probably be reported that I was performing an "airshow" at the time.

I can't imagine this "airshow pilot" had practiced this particular maneuver (a basic of basic aileron roll) at the altitude displayed here too many times. Definitely not enough for it to become automatic, since it appears he froze momentarily as the nose started dropping inverted, and made a panicked attempt at rolling upright before impact rather than calmly pushing away from the ground as any truly exprerienced and practiced airshow pilot would have done. I hate to judge and I'm glad he's alive, but this still serves as a good reminder of what I originally stated.
 
Re: Decathlon low-level roll, crash

whifferdill said:
Thanks for the tip about acro planes and pilots. :thumbsup: How much aerobatic experience do you have? The roll here was so poorly executed that it fits the profile of someone who gets suckered into flying beyond their abilities due to the conditions I mentioned. I think it can serve as an appropriate reminder. And you can call anything an "airshow". If I killed myself in my aerobatic practice area, it would probably be reported that I was performing an "airshow" at the time.

I can't imagine this "airshow pilot" had practiced this particular maneuver (a basic of basic aileron roll) at the altitude displayed here too many times. Definitely not enough for it to become automatic, since it appears he froze momentarily as the nose started dropping inverted, and made a panicked attempt at rolling upright before impact rather than calmly pushing away from the ground as any truly exprerienced and practiced airshow pilot would have done. I hate to judge and I'm glad he's alive, but this still serves as a good reminder of what I originally stated.
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I said I wasn't sure how that video demonstrated "impromptu, unrehearsed maneuvering". You apparently have the experience to know. And thank you for sharing it... :thumbsup:
 
Yeah, I gonna agree with Whiff here - that was so poorly executed that there's no way that person would have a surface level waiver here in the US. That airplane could have easily pushed up out of that maneuver and it wouldn't surprise me if that was the first time they'd ever rolled an airplane down low.
 
Re: Decathlon low-level roll, crash

TangoWhiskey said:
Already being discussed.

Not sure how that video proves "impromptu, unrehearsed maneuvering". I think pilots tend to do acrobatics in acrobatic airplanes at airshows... and they tend to rehearse, too. ;)
Click to expand...

Yes they most assuredly do, and that is why the video quite adeptly shows why it was impromptu and unrehearsed because regardless if he was trying to do a roll or fly for a bit inverted, he did it so poorly it is obvious he had little or no practice executing what he was trying to exhibit. He obviously had no clue as to what his attitude should be while inverted, and his attempted recovery roll was just as bad.
 
I thought it looked like his attitude while inverted should have maintained altitude or even climbed a little with good airspeed and power. Maybe he was short on one or both. Not good for inverted at that altitude!

Rick
 
B2Soar said:
I thought it looked like his attitude while inverted should have maintained altitude or even climbed a little with good airspeed and power. Maybe he was short on one or both. Not good for inverted at that altitude!

Rick
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He wasn't pushed out near enough for inverted flight in a Decathlon.
 
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