Airplane Came To Rest Among Densely Populated Cedar And Fir Trees That Reached Up To 150 Ft AGL

Location: Bandera, WA Accident Number: WPR24FA156
Date & Time: May 19, 2024, 16:48 Local Registration: N22MW
Aircraft: Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On May 19, 2024, at 1648 Pacific daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L, N22MW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Bandera, Washington. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot was planning to attend an annual International Aerobatic Club (IAC) aerobatic training camp in Ephrata, Washington. The pilot recently had a mishap with his airplane, an Extra NG, where it was damaged when the canopy opened during takeoff. Because his airplane was in maintenance, the owner of the accident airplane offered to lend the pilot his airplane to use for the aerobatic camp. The pilot had flown the airplane before and was on the owner’s insurance.

The camp was starting on May 20, the day after the accident, and was structured to have a group of pilots participate for the first three days, followed by another group for the next three days. The first group of pilots were scheduled to land on the day of the accident to get a briefing at 1600 and sign in. The pilot indicated that he planned to get up on the morning of the accident and wait for favorable weather, mentioning he might have to wait until May 22 or 23. His camp was scheduled to start on May 22. He relayed to the organizers that his wife was driving over to the airport with the Certificate of Waiver (CoW) to be signed at the briefing. At 1450 on the day of the accident, one of the camps organizers asked the pilot if he would be at Ephrata that day to help give the briefing. The pilot responded that he would not make the briefing.

The aerobatics training camp required a CoW from the Federal Aviation Administration,which was issued to the pilot. The CoW detailed the conditions and responsibilities under which the camp was allowed to conduct aerobatic flight activities in the designated area near the airport, including compliance with specific safety and operational provisions; it stipulated that failure to adhere to the conditions could result in the cancellation of the waiver and legal penalties. The CoW stated that “The holder of this certificate shall be responsible for the strict observance of the terms and provisions contained herein and that the pilot was the only person ‘authorized to activate and deactivate’” the aerobatic area; no other persons were delegated this authority.

A review of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed that the airplane departed Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO), Arlington, Washington at 1627. The airplane proceeded south-southeast until intersecting Interstate I-90 near Snoqualmie, Washington. The airplane then began to follow I-90 through a mountain pass while generally maintaining an altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level (agl). The canyon walls along the mountain pass reached up to 5,000 ft mean sea level (msl).

At 1647, the airplane initiated a 1,500 foot-per-minute climb, with its groundspeed gradually decreasing from 170 kts to 130 kts over a 20-second period. At 1648, the airplane passed to the south of Bandera State Airport after reaching an altitude of about 7,000 ft msl and then began a descent. The airplane leveled off briefly and then began another, steeper descent. In the final seconds of data, the airplane started a 90° left turn the groundspeed reaching 185 kts at the last recorded hit.

The accident site was located on a north-facing slope of a densely forested mountainous terrain at an altitude of about 3,100 ft msl. The airplane came to rest among densely populated cedar and fir trees that reached up to 150 ft agl. The site varied in slope between 45°-60°. Numerous branches directly above the main wreckage displayed fresh breaks, and the top of one small fir tree had been severed. None of the nearby trees showed evidence of impact to their trunks.

The debris field was estimated to be 100 ft in diameter, with the main wreckage in the center. The debris field consisted of pieces of clear plastic, fragmented composite, paint chips, and propeller splinters. The main wreckage included the engine, fuselage, wings, and empennage. The empennage was folded over the fuselage in a scorpion-like position. The wings came to rest partially embedded in the topsoil. The wing skin panels had shattered and were distributed through the debris field. The wing’s leading edges sustained the most severe damage and had shattered. Flight control continuity could not be established due to the severe fragmentation and crush damage of the fuselage.

The seatbelt latch position at the time of impact could not be definitively determined. The upper lap belt on the pilot's seat appeared to be latched with the shoulder straps engaged. The tongues of the pilot’s lap belts showed evidence of deformation, consistent with the belts being engaged at the time of impact. The pilot’s parachute was attached and remained packed.

Numerous pilots reported flying in the same area of the accident site earlier in the day. They reported isolated areas of heavy rain and poor visibility with moderate turbulence present in the pass. One pilot who was flying in the immediate area about 30 minutes before the accident, reported that the tops of the clouds were at 10,000 ft msl and dissipated as he flew west out of the pass. 

FMI: www.ntsb.gov