Accident Killed Mobile, AL Neurosurgeon And His Wife

The NTSB has released its preliminary report in an accident in which an SNJ-6 Texan went down in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast, killing Mobile, AL neurosurgeon Dr. Evan Zeiger and his wife Peggy. They were flying in formation with several other T6 aircraft when the airplane went down.

NTSB Identification: ERA10FA163
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, March 06, 2010 in Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Aircraft: NORTH AMERICAN T6, registration: N47LF
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On March 6, 2010, at 1236 CST, a North American SNJ-6, N47LF, was destroyed when it impacted the Gulf of Mexico about 1 mile south of Topsail Hill Reserve State Park, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. The certificated commercial pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight, part of a five-airplane formation, was not operating on a flight plan. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the formation lead pilot, all of the pilots of the five-airplane formation met about 1130 for a formation briefing. The flight took off about 1200, and flew westbound for about 4 miles with cross unders and echelons practiced. A breakup and rejoin was accomplished, and the formation proceeded eastbound. After later turning to the south, another breakup was accomplished with subsequent maneuvering resulting in an in-trail formation headed eastbound. The accident airplane was number 5 in trail.

In interviews, the pilots indicated that some were performing aileron rolls while in trail. None were performing additional acrobatics such as loops or barrel rolls from that low of an altitude, which the formation lead pilot indicated was about 500 feet above the water. A trail pilot reported that the separation between the airplanes was about 2,000 yards.

A video card containing a video clip of the accident was provided via local authorities. The video, which was taken from the beach, showed the last four of the five airplanes in trail over the water, initially heading eastbound. Each airplane was videoed separately.

The video began with the number 2 airplane in the middle of the screen, about 225 degrees through a left aileron roll. The airplane then exited the left side of the screen about 270 degrees through the roll (left wing straight up and right wing straight down.)

The number 3 airplane then came into view from the right side of the screen, at what appeared to be a lower altitude, and with the left wing 20 to 30 degrees down. The airplane remained in that approximate attitude and altitude until it exited the left side of the screen.

The number 4 airplane then came into view from the right side of the screen in an approximately 30-degree nose up attitude. About mid-screen it began a roll to the left. The airplane exited the left side of the screen, still about 30 degrees nose up, having rolled about 90 degrees. The camera then panned to the left to capture an additional part of the roll, until the airplane exited the left side of the screen again, but about 180 degrees through the roll (upside down at that point) with the nose still several degrees above the horizon.

The number 5 airplane, the accident airplane, then came into view from the right side of the screen, about 30-degrees nose up, and 30-degrees left wing down. It subsequently rolled to the left, and appeared to reach 90 degrees (left wing down, right wing up) before the camera panned left and momentarily lost it from the right side of the screen.

The airplane then flew back into view, about 135 degrees through the left roll, and continued to a 180-degree (completely upside down) position. At that point, the airplane’s nose was slightly low in relation to the horizon, dropping to about 10-degrees low. Then the camera again panned to the left, and the airplane again disappeared from the right side of the screen.

File Photo

The airplane subsequently reappeared on the screen about 225 degrees through the left roll, at an estimated 15-degrees nose low, and began a turn to the right while continuing the left roll recovery. As the airplane reached a southerly heading, away from the beach, it passed through about 315 degrees of the left roll (right wing 45-degrees down), and the roll suddenly reversed. The wings went briefly vertical (left wing up, right wing down), the nose dropped, and as the airplane continued rolling to the right, it appeared to go slightly inverted. It then descended into the water about 90-degrees nose low, with the top of the airplane facing the beach. The right wingtip was the first part of the airplane to strike the water, and as it did, the angle of the wings in relation to the horizon was about 45 degrees.

No objects were observed departing the airplane during the maneuver.

The pilot, Dr. Zeiger, age 60, held a commercial pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane single engine land, multi-engine land, single engine sea, multi-engine sea, and instrument airplane. On his latest FAA second class medical application, dated July 17, 2009, the pilot indicated 5,400 hours of flight time.

The airplane was powered by a Pratt and Whitney R1340-series engine, producing 600 horsepower. According to the airplane’s logbooks, the latest annual inspection was completed on August 19, 2009. At the time, the airframe had 2,054 hours of operation, while the engine had 6,056 hours of operation, with 884 hours since major overhaul.

The airplane was described by the other formation pilots as “probably the nicest,” “meticulous,” “beautiful,” and “immaculate,” with “no lack of expense” in maintaining it.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov