Pilot, Passenger Fatally Injured When Plane Went Down

The NTSB has issued a preliminary report in an accident which occurred near the Virginia International Raceway in Alton in the southern part of Virginia. The accident fatally injured Jon Couch, who was flying the airplane, and his mother who was aboard as a passenger.

According to the report, On September 19, 2014, about 1710 eastern daylight time, an experimental North American T-28C, N531KG, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged when it impacted a kudzu field, while performing low-level aerobatics near Alton, Virginia. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed Easton Airport (ESN), Easton Maryland, about 1600. No flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Danville Regional Airport (DAN), Danville, Virginia.

A witness, who was a friend of the pilot, was at a racing facility with a motorcycle racing team that the pilot owned. The witness stated that he received a text message from the pilot that the pilot would be there in 6 minutes. The accident airplane then performed a low pass over the area, reversed direction, and initiated a barrel roll during the second low pass. The witness added that the airplane started to climb before the barrel roll, but it wasn't enough and he knew the airplane would not have enough altitude to complete the maneuver. The airplane subsequently collided with trees and terrain and a postcrash fire ensued. A second witness recorded a video of the aerobatic maneuver, which was forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory, Washington, D.C.

A debris path was observed, initiating with the propeller, and extending approximately 300 feet on a magnetic heading about 320 degrees. The cockpit, empennage, left wing, and engine were located at the end of the debris path.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and airplane multiengine land. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration third-class medical certificate was issued on November October 5, 2011. At that time, he reported a total flight experience of 1,410 hours.

The two-seat tandem, low-wing, retractable tricycle gear airplane, serial number 140531, was manufactured in 1954. It was equipped with a Wright R-1820, 1,425-horsepower engine and a three-blade constant speed propeller.

The accident site was located about 6 miles east of DAN. The recorded weather at DAN, at 1653, was: wind from 040 degrees at 8 knots; visibility 10 miles; broken ceiling at 11,000 feet; temperature 21 degrees C; dewpoint 17 degrees C; altimeter 30.22 inches Hg.

(T-28C pictured in file photo. Not accident airplane)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov