Aerial Productions Intl. Inc. Acrojet Special accident near Ocean City, Maryland, June 27, 2006

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

After proceeding to a designated test area to perform airborne testing, the pilot made one test run, and then was instructed by radio to return to the airport because the weather had begun to deteriorate. Since the flight was shorter than planned, the airplane returned to the airport at a higher than normal landing weight due to fuel. The pilot turned onto a 5-mile final, and made a low pass down the runway for data collection purposes. He then joined the traffic pattern for landing. On final approach, short of the runway, the airplane impacted trees. No evidence of any preimpact malfunctions were discovered during the wreckage examination. Performance data downloaded from the airplane revealed that during the approach, the descent rate was much higher than recorded during a previous flight, and airspeed was approximately 25 knots slower than recommended for the airplane's weight. The data also showed that the headwind component decreased by approximately 14 knots in the last 10 seconds of the flight, and angle of attack and engine power increased. The airplane's training syllabus cautioned pilots of the dangers associated with high fuel load landings, and, except for emergencies, stated that landings should not be attempted with more than 30 gallons remaining. The airplane had an estimated 35 to 37 gallons remaining at the time of the accident.

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.