Pilot of a biplane during aerobatic practice lost control of the aircraft while doing a rudder exerc...

Attributes
ACN	401275
Time
Date	199805
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : t58
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 1700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 650 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	401275
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was flying aerobatics over a private runway and pasture. I was using a base of 1500 ft AGL while I performed advanced aerobatic maneuvers. I had worked all night the night before and was somewhat tired. I had misjudged a couple of maneuvers and went below 1500 ft and realizing this, added 200 ft to my base. I was also doing some practice approachs to the newly mowed grass strip. It will be barely adequate to land and will probably require a headwind. I entered a hovering maneuver at 1700 ft AGL. I pulled the nose up to a 60 degree or so angle with full power and use the rudder to keep it straight. The airspeed reads zero after it stabilizes. A popular air show performer performs this maneuver and then rudders the aircraft in a small turning circle to the right. I have done this maneuver many times. This time, I decided to do a left hand turn. There is a reason the popular air show performer turns right. The aircraft suddenly broke into a left hand flat spin. I pulled the power, put in full right rudder and released the stick. I realize now, due to no airspeed, the rudder had no effectiveness. I pushed the stick all the way forward which only resulted in a cross-over spin to inverted. By this time, I was getting very low. It finally came out of the spin at about a 45 degree inverted nose down angle. Due to my lack of altitude, I continued a delicate, buffeting 45 degree push to level inverted. I only had 100-200 ft before I became a statistic. I figure that I lost 1500 ft in only 4 rotations. Some botched maneuvers require more than the 1500 ft minimum mandated by the FAA. That altitude is the bottom and I need at least double that for any new maneuvers. I am sure my lack of sleep affected my judgement and I feel that I am lucky to have survived this lack of judgement.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BIPLANE DURING AEROBATIC PRACTICE LOST CTL OF THE ACFT WHILE DOING A RUDDER EXERCISE STALL MANEUVER RESULTING IN THE ACFT FALLING INTO AN INVERTED FLAT SPIN. THE RPTR REGAINED CTL INVERTED AT APPROX 100 FT ABOVE THE GND.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AEROBATICS OVER A PVT RWY AND PASTURE. I WAS USING A BASE OF 1500 FT AGL WHILE I PERFORMED ADVANCED AEROBATIC MANEUVERS. I HAD WORKED ALL NIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE AND WAS SOMEWHAT TIRED. I HAD MISJUDGED A COUPLE OF MANEUVERS AND WENT BELOW 1500 FT AND REALIZING THIS, ADDED 200 FT TO MY BASE. I WAS ALSO DOING SOME PRACTICE APCHS TO THE NEWLY MOWED GRASS STRIP. IT WILL BE BARELY ADEQUATE TO LAND AND WILL PROBABLY REQUIRE A HEADWIND. I ENTERED A HOVERING MANEUVER AT 1700 FT AGL. I PULLED THE NOSE UP TO A 60 DEG OR SO ANGLE WITH FULL PWR AND USE THE RUDDER TO KEEP IT STRAIGHT. THE AIRSPD READS ZERO AFTER IT STABILIZES. A POPULAR AIR SHOW PERFORMER PERFORMS THIS MANEUVER AND THEN RUDDERS THE ACFT IN A SMALL TURNING CIRCLE TO THE R. I HAVE DONE THIS MANEUVER MANY TIMES. THIS TIME, I DECIDED TO DO A L HAND TURN. THERE IS A REASON THE POPULAR AIR SHOW PERFORMER TURNS R. THE ACFT SUDDENLY BROKE INTO A L HAND FLAT SPIN. I PULLED THE PWR, PUT IN FULL R RUDDER AND RELEASED THE STICK. I REALIZE NOW, DUE TO NO AIRSPD, THE RUDDER HAD NO EFFECTIVENESS. I PUSHED THE STICK ALL THE WAY FORWARD WHICH ONLY RESULTED IN A CROSS-OVER SPIN TO INVERTED. BY THIS TIME, I WAS GETTING VERY LOW. IT FINALLY CAME OUT OF THE SPIN AT ABOUT A 45 DEG INVERTED NOSE DOWN ANGLE. DUE TO MY LACK OF ALT, I CONTINUED A DELICATE, BUFFETING 45 DEG PUSH TO LEVEL INVERTED. I ONLY HAD 100-200 FT BEFORE I BECAME A STATISTIC. I FIGURE THAT I LOST 1500 FT IN ONLY 4 ROTATIONS. SOME BOTCHED MANEUVERS REQUIRE MORE THAN THE 1500 FT MINIMUM MANDATED BY THE FAA. THAT ALT IS THE BOTTOM AND I NEED AT LEAST DOUBLE THAT FOR ANY NEW MANEUVERS. I AM SURE MY LACK OF SLEEP AFFECTED MY JUDGEMENT AND I FEEL THAT I AM LUCKY TO HAVE SURVIVED THIS LACK OF JUDGEMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Pilot of a biplane during aerobatic practice lost control of the aircraft while doing a rudder exercise stall maneuver resulting in the aircraft falling into an inverted flat spin. The reporter regained control inverted at approximately 100 ft above the ground.