British Aircraft CORP BAC 167 STRIKEMASTER accident near Kingston, New York, February 26, 2011
On February 26, 2011 at about 5:35 pm local time, a British Aircraft CORP BAC 167 STRIKEMASTER, registered N167SM, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Kingston, New York (Kingston-Ulster Airport). It was a positioning 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 airplane control while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the accident airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 2011 · about 5:35 pm local time
- Place
- Kingston, New York · Kingston-Ulster Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aircraft CORP BAC 167 STRIKEMASTER · all BAC 167 STRIKEMASTERs on the register
- Registration
- N167SM · registry record · serial EEP/JP/165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to witnesses and corroborated by a video, the pilot performed a rolling maneuver over the runway before returning for a second pass of the runway at an airport that he told his friends he would be flying over. The second pass was flown at a low altitude with the gear retracted. Following the low pass, the pilot abruptly pitched the nose up and entered a steep left turn. The nose of the airplane dropped, and the airplane entered a descending spiral and crashed into a river. The sound of the engine was heard continuously on the video of the flight until the airplane crashed. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot had logged about 21 hours in the airplane and had obtained a type rating in the airplane about 2 1/2 months prior to the accident. His training in the airplane make and model included aerobatic maneuvers, stalls, and recovery from unusual attitudes. The airplane’s owner was not aware that the pilot was planning to perform aerobatic maneuvers and further stated that he would never have approved the pilot to perform solo aerobatics in his airplane.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,187 hours in all; 21 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 10, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,502 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 18, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 11,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royce VIPER 535 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royc VIPER 535 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dragon Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: JST Johnstown PA at 5:35 pm
- Destination: 1B1 Hudson NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 15, 3,100 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from POU, 21 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 ERA11FA165.