Narrative:

At the ZZZ air show, during a squirrel cage maneuver being flown by myself and 2 other aircraft, one of the aircraft crashed, killing the pilot. A squirrel cage maneuver is a series of single aerobatic maneuvers performed sequentially by more than 1 airplane. The airplanes participating climb to a particular altitude, well above the lowest altitude to which the aircraft will descend, at a particular location, called the 'perch.' the airplanes are always in radio communication on a discrete frequency. The first airplane in rotation calls into the box, and exiting the box, followed by the second, followed by the third, and then again the first, etc. At no time is more than 1 aircraft in the aerobatic box, and that was the situation that obtained during this exhibition. I am at a loss to explain the crash, but most informed observers seemed to think that perhaps there was some failure in the aircraft. Since I was flying at the time and did not directly observe all of the crash sequence, I can offer no opinion on this. The promoters, with the concurrence of the FAA inspector present, agreed that the show should continue as scheduled. Flying was curtailed for several hours after the crash. At this point, the remaining professional aerobatic pilot at the show, and I, each performed our individual routines. We were cleared by both the temporary FAA tower, and the air boss, into the aerobatic box to perform our maneuvers. Unbeknownst to us, 2 NTSB investigators were on the ground within the confines of the aerobatic box during our maneuvers. Since both the other flying pilot and myself were considerably shaken from the morning's events, our routines were performed very high, probably above 1500 ft AGL. Nonetheless, I feel that it may have been a compromise to safety for the 2 NTSB investigators to have been on the ground inside a hot aerobatic box. It must be emphasized that both the local emergency response team, and the coroner's recovery team, instructed the air boss and the holder of the waiver that the box was clear before the start of our maneuvers. Further, the FAA temporary tower personnel at the air show assured the air boss that the air show could continue. The NTSB personnel did not, to my understanding, notify either the air boss or the FAA tower personnel, or the FAA inspectors on scene, that they would be on the ground and under the box at the time the aerobatic acts were scheduled to start. I believe this potentially unsafe situation could have been avoided had the NTSB personnel simply informed the waiver holder, the official point of contact for all issues regarding the air show, of their presence. They could have waited the 10 mins requires for the aerobatic exhibition to be completed, or the air show could have waited until they had completed their necessary business.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR SHOW PLT PERFORMED MANEUVERS IN THE ACROBATIC BOX WITH NTSB INVESTIGATORS UNDER THE BOX AREA.

Narrative: AT THE ZZZ AIR SHOW, DURING A SQUIRREL CAGE MANEUVER BEING FLOWN BY MYSELF AND 2 OTHER ACFT, ONE OF THE ACFT CRASHED, KILLING THE PLT. A SQUIRREL CAGE MANEUVER IS A SERIES OF SINGLE AEROBATIC MANEUVERS PERFORMED SEQUENTIALLY BY MORE THAN 1 AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANES PARTICIPATING CLB TO A PARTICULAR ALT, WELL ABOVE THE LOWEST ALT TO WHICH THE ACFT WILL DSND, AT A PARTICULAR LOCATION, CALLED THE 'PERCH.' THE AIRPLANES ARE ALWAYS IN RADIO COM ON A DISCRETE FREQ. THE FIRST AIRPLANE IN ROTATION CALLS INTO THE BOX, AND EXITING THE BOX, FOLLOWED BY THE SECOND, FOLLOWED BY THE THIRD, AND THEN AGAIN THE FIRST, ETC. AT NO TIME IS MORE THAN 1 ACFT IN THE AEROBATIC BOX, AND THAT WAS THE SIT THAT OBTAINED DURING THIS EXHIBITION. I AM AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN THE CRASH, BUT MOST INFORMED OBSERVERS SEEMED TO THINK THAT PERHAPS THERE WAS SOME FAILURE IN THE ACFT. SINCE I WAS FLYING AT THE TIME AND DID NOT DIRECTLY OBSERVE ALL OF THE CRASH SEQUENCE, I CAN OFFER NO OPINION ON THIS. THE PROMOTERS, WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE FAA INSPECTOR PRESENT, AGREED THAT THE SHOW SHOULD CONTINUE AS SCHEDULED. FLYING WAS CURTAILED FOR SEVERAL HRS AFTER THE CRASH. AT THIS POINT, THE REMAINING PROFESSIONAL AEROBATIC PLT AT THE SHOW, AND I, EACH PERFORMED OUR INDIVIDUAL ROUTINES. WE WERE CLRED BY BOTH THE TEMPORARY FAA TWR, AND THE AIR BOSS, INTO THE AEROBATIC BOX TO PERFORM OUR MANEUVERS. UNBEKNOWNST TO US, 2 NTSB INVESTIGATORS WERE ON THE GND WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE AEROBATIC BOX DURING OUR MANEUVERS. SINCE BOTH THE OTHER FLYING PLT AND MYSELF WERE CONSIDERABLY SHAKEN FROM THE MORNING'S EVENTS, OUR ROUTINES WERE PERFORMED VERY HIGH, PROBABLY ABOVE 1500 FT AGL. NONETHELESS, I FEEL THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A COMPROMISE TO SAFETY FOR THE 2 NTSB INVESTIGATORS TO HAVE BEEN ON THE GND INSIDE A HOT AEROBATIC BOX. IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED THAT BOTH THE LCL EMER RESPONSE TEAM, AND THE CORONER'S RECOVERY TEAM, INSTRUCTED THE AIR BOSS AND THE HOLDER OF THE WAIVER THAT THE BOX WAS CLR BEFORE THE START OF OUR MANEUVERS. FURTHER, THE FAA TEMPORARY TWR PERSONNEL AT THE AIR SHOW ASSURED THE AIR BOSS THAT THE AIR SHOW COULD CONTINUE. THE NTSB PERSONNEL DID NOT, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, NOTIFY EITHER THE AIR BOSS OR THE FAA TWR PERSONNEL, OR THE FAA INSPECTORS ON SCENE, THAT THEY WOULD BE ON THE GND AND UNDER THE BOX AT THE TIME THE AEROBATIC ACTS WERE SCHEDULED TO START. I BELIEVE THIS POTENTIALLY UNSAFE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE NTSB PERSONNEL SIMPLY INFORMED THE WAIVER HOLDER, THE OFFICIAL POINT OF CONTACT FOR ALL ISSUES REGARDING THE AIR SHOW, OF THEIR PRESENCE. THEY COULD HAVE WAITED THE 10 MINS REQUIRES FOR THE AEROBATIC EXHIBITION TO BE COMPLETED, OR THE AIR SHOW COULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL THEY HAD COMPLETED THEIR NECESSARY BUSINESS.

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.