ERA11CA389

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, he and his friend had pre-arranged a formation flight to attend an air show. He stated that he performed formation flying frequently. While on short final to the runway, he lost sight of the lead airplane in the formation and veered left in an effort to regain visual contact. While sidestepping approximately 20 feet above the ground he stalled the airplane and applied full power to recover. The left wing tip contacted the ground and the airplane landed hard and skidded for about 100 yards. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration inspected the airplane and reported structural damage to the left wing and the engine was significantly damaged. The accident flight was part of a two-airplane formation flight to an airshow. The pilot reported that while on short final approach, he lost sight of the lead airplane. He sidestepped about 20 feet above the ground to regain sight of the lead airplane, but the airplane stalled. He said he added power to recover, but it was too late. The left wing tip struck the ground, the airplane landed hard and slid for another 100 yards resulting in substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not disclose any evidence of a mechanical malfunction. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-(general)-Pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C