Pilot Suffered Only A Sprained Ankle

The pilot of an airplane scheduled to perform at the Legacy Air Show in Rexburg, ID, went down during a practice session Friday night. While the airplane was reportedly a total loss, pilot Buck Roetman suffered only a sprained ankle in the accident.

Roetman, who's Sharpsburg, GA-based Wild Horse Aviation specializes in aircraft acquisition, maintenance, fabrication and export, was practicing a series of aileron rolls in his modified Christen Eagle biplane (similar aircraft pictured in file photo, accident airplane was red) during a preview of the Legacy Air Show. Video captured by television station KIDK shows the airplane performing the maneuvers, but failing to recover before impacting the ground in a nearly wings-level upright attitude. Show organizer and pilot John Bagly told the station that Roetman "had a problem with the prop and lost power." The airplane came down on a golf course adjacent to Rexburg Airport. In an e-mail sent to ANN, a source close to Roetman said "He says he lost all oil pressure and then engine power during the maneuver and is anxious to see what else the investigators find."

Roetman reportedly attended the air show on Saturday, albeit on crutches. Authorities said that the airplane was a total loss, with parts strewn in all directions by the impact. It was removed from the golf course and stored in an off-airport location pending investigation by the FAA and NTSB.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov