ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 88127
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| Date: | Thursday 25 April 1985 |
| Time: | 11:50 |
| Type: |  Pitts S-1E |
| Owner/operator: | Private owner |
| Registration: | ZK-ECO |
| MSN: | AACA 337/1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Beacon Point,11 kms northwest of Wanaka, Otago -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Wanaka Airport |
| Wanaka Airport | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
This Pitts Special single-seat biplane took off from Wanaka Airport to perform an aerobatic display over a Boy Scout meeting being held at a motor camp near Wanaka.
The pilot was experienced in this type of flying, including about 350 hours in two-seater Pitts Specials. He had flown as a pilot in two air forces, the RNZAF and the RAF, and had held United States, Canadian, and New Zealand Commercial Pilot Licences.
He had accumulated a total of about 3,800 flying hours.
On arrival at the location of his display the pilot performed two aerobatic manoeuvres at low altitude, climbed to regain some height, and then put the aircraft into a right hand spin. The spin was stopped after about ten turns and the nose was then pitched up and power applied to recover from the 45 degree dive. Unfortunately the biplane continued on its previous downward trajectory and mushed into the ground heavily in a level attitude, bouncing before colliding with the ground again and skidding some forty metres before coming to rest. These two impacts caused major damage to the airframe, engine, and propeller of the aircraft and the pilot suffered severe spine and chest injuries.
The pilot was found unconscious in the cockpit and flown by helicopter to Wanaka for medical treatment.
He died two days later as the result of the chest injury sustained in the second ground impact.
Pilot: Stefan Witold Karwowski.
R.I.P.
Sources:
http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333
Air Accident Report No.85-039, Office of Air Accidents Investigation, Wellington, NZ.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Jan-2011 14:00 | ASN archive | |
| 04-Feb-2022 22:47 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 10-Jul-2022 20:22 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 10-Jul-2022 23:05 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
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