ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 67991
Last updated: 19 June 2013
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| Date: | 22-AUG-2009 |
| Time: | 12:10 LT |
| Type: | Zivko Edge 540 |
| Operator: | Vicki Cruse |
| Registration: | N540BW |
| C/n / msn: | 0021 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Silverstone racing circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire (EGBV) -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | EGBV |
| EGBV |
The aircraft was being flown in an aerobatic competition during which it failed to recover from a downwards snap roll manoeuvre, initiated at about 2,300 ft agl. The aircraft continued to rotate until it struck the ground, fatally injuring the pilot.
The single seater Zivko Edge 540 plane crashed on the southern end of the racetrack at midday killing the famous acrobatic pilot Vicki Cruse. As seen on a photo, ít was not Vicki's own machine, but Zivko Edge 540 N540BW. The US didn't transport own aircraft and Vicki "borrowed" an European based example.
The AAIB investigation discovered a mechanism whereby rudder pedal extensions used by the pilot could have contributed to a rudder control restriction, but pilot incapacitation was also considered a possible contributory factor.
Registration N540BW cancelled by the FAA on 9/11/2009
Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/northamptonshire/8215889.stm
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Zivko%20Aeronautics%20Inc%20Edge%20540,%20N540BW%2009-10.pdf
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6072987/Woman-dies-in-aircraft-crash-at-racing-circuit.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208325/Female-pilot-killed-plane-crashes-Silverstone.html
http://diamondpilots.blogspot.com/2009/08/aerobatic-pilot-vicki-cruse-dies-in-air.html (+photo of the wreck)
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=540BW&x=0&y=0
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Aug-2009 11:34 | RobertMB | Added |
| 22-Aug-2009 22:25 | FLYING BROTHER NO.1 | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2009 06:14 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2009 12:16 | 78Delta | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2009 13:21 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2009 13:26 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 08-Jan-2011 09:07 | FLYINGBROTHER1 | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 15-Oct-2012 16:57 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 15-Oct-2012 17:04 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
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