The pilot of a Bradley BA100 light sport aircraft carefully checked the GoPro cameras mounted on the exterior of his airplane. With video rolling, he took off from Skylark Airport in Killeen, Texas, but shortly after passing the departure end of the 5,495-foot runway, his engine lost power. The video shows a slight right turn toward an open area, but a large tree got in the way of the emergency landing.
After what might have been an attempt to turn back to the airport (according to the NTSB preliminary report), the single-seater hit the tree about 20 feet from the top. The pilot emerged uninjured. The video shows him making note of the fact that the cameras are still operating, even telling a first responder, “You’re on camera.” The video is pieced together with footage from three GoPro cameras, all of which survived intact. One is mounted on the underside of the tail; a second under the left wing; and the third inside the cockpit looking over the pilot’s head.
The BA100 is a Volkswagen-powered low-wing kitplane from Bradley Aerospace in Chico, California. Designed to be aerobatic, it’s stressed to plus or minus 9 Gs. Approximately 200 kits have been sold, with an unknown number completed. You can see the crash video here:
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