Aerostar S A YAK-52 accident near Jensen Beach, Florida, May 15, 2010
On May 15, 2010 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Aerostar S A YAK-52, registered N6868Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (aerobatics) near Jensen Beach, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to perform an aerobatic maneuver at a low altitude, which resulted in insufficient clearance from the water to conduct a recovery. Contributing to the accident was the airplane’s extended landing gear, which resulted in a degradation of the airplane's performance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2010 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Jensen Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar S A YAK-52 · all YAK-52s on the register
- Registration
- N6868Y · no longer on the register · serial 800606
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff from a nearby airport, the pilot of the accident airplane commenced a series of aerobatic maneuvers at low altitude along a beach. Witnesses observed the airplane flying along the beach about 100 yards offshore in a northerly direction, descending from approximately 300 feet to approximately 50 feet above the water. It next entered a very abrupt and steep turn to the northeast, then went straight up while continuing to turn until it rolled out on a westerly heading toward a cluster of condominiums that lined the beach. The airplane once again made a sharp turn to the right (northbound), then pitched up sharply until it was upside down. It then pitched down, rolled about its longitudinal axis, and impacted the water nose first. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact failure or malfunction of the airplane or engine. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Aerobatic Club consider the minimum altitude for aerobatic maneuvers to be 1,500 feet, which the pilot was well below when he commenced the maneuvers. Examination of a landing gear down light bulb revealed filament stretching, which indicated that the light bulb was energized prior to the airplane's impact with the water. Review of photographs taken of the airplane a few minutes prior to the accident and moments before it impacted the water, confirmed that the landing gear was extended. Review of the airplane’s pilot operating handbook revealed that the landing gear was supposed to be raised after takeoff and that the pilot was supposed to check for a landing gear up indication. The extended landing gear would have affected the airplane's performance and would have made the airplane slower to respond to the pilot's inputs. This, in combination with his decision to commence the aerobatic maneuvers at low altitude, resulted in his inability to recover prior to impacting the water.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (aerobatics) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 442 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 324 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 6, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,015 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 9, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,877 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Vedeneyev M-14P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SUA Stuart FL at 3:30 pm
- Destination: SUA Stuart FL
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 3:47 pm from SUA, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.