Event DEN87FA216

Factual narrative

74-YEAR-OLD PLT WAS PERFORMING AEROBATICS AT SMALL ARPT FOR LOCAL TV NEWS STATION TO PROMOTE WEEKEND AIRSHOW. PLT MADE RIGHT & LEFT PASS, EACH PASS CONSISTING OF SHALLOW DESCENT, PULLUP FROM APRX 150 TO 200 FT AGL, & SLOW ROLL. PLT BEGAN THIRD PASS FROM STRAIGHT & LEVEL ATTITUDE & ROLLED ACFT INVERTED. AT 180 DEG POINT, ACFT YAWED 30 DEG LEFT OF RWY CENTERLINE. AS ACFT ROLLED PAST 270 DEG POINT, IT SIDE-SLIPPED, LOST ALT RAPIDLY, & COLLIDED WITH TELEPHONE POLE, GUY WIRE, & COMMERCIAL BUILDING. PLT EXPIRED APRX 31 HRS LATER. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF ACFT, ENG, PROP, OR FLT CONTROLS FOUND. AUTOPSY & TOXICOLOGY RESULTS WERE NEGATIVE. WX WAS VFR. PLT HAD INNER EAR INFECTION IN LATE 1983. DOCTOR LATER DIAGNOSED IT AS 'BENIGN POSITIONAL PAROXYSMAL VERTIGO.' PLT WAS REPORTEDLY SYMPTOMATIC UP TO TIME OF ACCIDENT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12