1997 06/10 CA David Kyle -OV10

Incident Name:
Date: 6/10/1997, 0938 hours
Personnel: David Kyle
Age: 51
Agency/Organization: unknown private under contract with BLM
Position: aerial firefighter

Summary: New OV10 pilot David Kyle was flying the lead plane near Holister, CA. Witnesses at a fire station saw the airplane fly by at approximately 200 feet and roll right to a near-inverted attitude. The airplane then began to roll left and struck the ground in a 90-degree right-wing-down attitude. David was fatally injured.

Maps

near Holister, CA

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Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned

Concise Information from the NTSB, FAA, AAP and research by the WLF Staff:
- 6/10/1997
- 1 killed, David Kyle
- Operator: unknown private but under contract with BLM
- Type: ROCKWELL OV10A
- Location: near Hollister, CA
- FAA Registration # N94LM
- NTSB # LAX97GA205
National Transportation Safety Board: Probable Cause (html)the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate ground clearance altitude while performing a low-level aerobatic maneuver. A factor in the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience in the aircraft.
NTSB Full Narrative
For more information consult the NTSB online lookup Utility Use NTSB Identification: LAX97GA205
Flight Safety Digest, Vol 18, No. 4, April 1999, US Aerial Firefighting Accidents Involving Fixed Wing Aircraft 1976-1998 (218 K pdf)

June 10, 1997 Hollister, California Rockwell OV-10A destroyed 1 fatal –Witnesses at a fire station saw the airplane fly by at approximately 200 feet and roll right to a near-inverted attitude. The airplane then began to roll left and struck the ground in a 90-degree right-wing-down attitude. The investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain ground clearance, and that contributing factors were the aerobatic maneuver and the pilot’s lack of experience in the airplane.
California Death Index: David R Kyle
United States Social Security Death Index: David R Kyle