February 26, 2011, Kingston, N.Y., BAC 167 Strikemaster

At about 1332 Eastern time, the vintage military jet crashed into the Hudson River following an in-flight loss of airplane control. Visual conditions prevailed. The private pilot was killed and the airplane received substantial damage. Witnesses reported the pilot flew over the airport and performed a rolling maneuver, described as a roll or a barrel roll. Following the rolling maneuver, the airplane remained in the traffic pattern and the pilot executed a second pass down the runway centerline, at low altitude and with the landing gear retracted.

Editorial Staff

Monday, April 04, 2011 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A vintage military jet crashed into the Hudson River, killing the private pilot, following an in-flight loss of control.
The crash occurred after the pilot performed a rolling maneuver and a low-altitude pass, subsequently losing control during a turn.
The pilot had limited experience (20.6 hours) in the aircraft type and was reportedly not trained in aerobatic maneuvers, despite performing one.

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Witnesses reported the pilot flew over the airport and performed a rolling maneuver, described as a roll or a barrel roll. Following the rolling maneuver, the airplane remained in the traffic pattern and the pilot executed a second pass down the runway centerline, at low altitude and with the landing gear retracted. Following the low pass, the pilot pulled the airplane up to a nose-high attitude and initiated a left-hand turn. During the turn, the airplanes nose reportedly dropped and the airplane entered a steep, descending turn until it impacted the river. The pilot received a type rating in the BAC 167 on December 12, 2010. He had about 20.6 hours in the aircraft type. The pilots spouse reported he was not trained in aerobatic flight maneuvers.