Curtiss Wright P-40N accident near Mastic Beach, New York, April 5, 2009
On April 5, 2009 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Curtiss Wright P-40N, registered N740RB, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (aerobatics) near Mastic Beach, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while performing aerobatics at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 2009 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Mastic Beach, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Curtiss Wright P-40N · all P-40Ns on the register
- Registration
- N740RB · registry record · serial 44-7368
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot's son said that he and his father were an airshow "team," that the purpose of the flight was to practice aerobatics in their World War Two-era fighter, and that he would act as a "safety guide" from the beach with a handheld radio. The pilot's son stated that all communications with the accident airplane were "normal." The airplane entered a "half Cuban eight" maneuver at an estimated 250 to 260 mph and when the airplane was "in the middle of the Cuban eight it went into a spin." The pilot's son estimated that the airplane had slowed to 100 to 120 mph--which was, according to him, "too slow"--when the airplane entered the spin and lacked the altitude to recover before crashing into the sea. A former Army fighter pilot witness described a similar sequence of events and stated that he thought the pilot was attempting an "Immelman" turn and added, "I knew he was in trouble when he didn't complete the Immelman turn and went off on one wing. The plane made 4 to 5 revolutions and augured into the ocean." The witness stated that no parts departed the airplane at anytime during the flight or accident sequence. A third and fourth witness provided similar accounts. The wreckage was not recovered from the ocean.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (aerobatics) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,469 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 8,850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison V 1710 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Leestown Aviation Warhawk INC
The flight
- Departed from: HWV Shirley NY at 5:09 pm
- Destination: HWV Shirley NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 13 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from HWV, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA09LA233.