Warbird Information Exchange

Eddie did survive the crash only to die in the fire that started after the aircraft came to rest. I watched from the wing of the Harpoon where I had a clear view of the crash and the fire station.

I am only in my 20s but someday I will fly it at airshows. I am getting rich really fast writing software and so I can afford to do really stupid things like put all my money into warbirds.

A preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board describes the fatal crash that occurred during a recent air show at Travis Air Force Base but does not yet include a suspected cause of the crash.

Edward "Eddie" Andreini, 77, was killed in the 1944 Super Stearman biplane he was flying May 4 during the "Thunder Over Solano" air show at Travis.

The NTSB reported that the Boeing E75 Stearman, N68828, was destroyed when it impacted runway 21R. According to the report Andreini flew two flight demonstration airplanes at the event, a North American P-51, and the accident airplane and that all his flights preceding the accident flight were uneventful.

"The accident occurred during a "ribbon-cut maneuver," whereby a ribbon was suspended transversely across the runway, between two poles held by ground crew personnel, and situated about 20 feet above the runway," the report noted. "The planned maneuver consisted of a total of three passes. The first two passes were to be conducted with the airplane upright, and were not planned to contact the ribbon. The final pass was to be conducted inverted, and the airplane would cut the ribbon with its vertical stabilizer.

"The first two passes were successful, but on the third (inverted, ribbon-cut) pass, the airplane was too high, and did not cut the ribbon. The pilot came around for a fourth pass, and rolled the airplane inverted after aligning with the runway. The airplane contacted the runway prior to reaching the ribbon, slid inverted between the ground crew personnel holding the poles, and came to a stop a few hundred feet beyond them."

Additionally, a review of image and ground scar data indicated that the airplane first contacted the runway with its right wing, followed by the tail, the left wing, and then the propeller. Also, the slash marks described an arc, which curved to the left, and which resulted in the airplane coming to rest near the left (southwest) edge of the runway, on a magnetic heading of about 140 degrees. The airplane slid a total distance of about 740 feet, according to the safety board.

There was speculation by spectators that it took too long for fire crews to arrive on scene of the fiery crash, however, the NTSB reported that a review of photographs and video footage indicated that the United State Air Force rescue and firefighting vehicles and personnel arrived at the airplane about 3 to 4 minutes after the accident, and extinguished the fire.

The report noted that a fire became visible just before the airplane came to a stop, and that the fire patterns were consistent with a pool fire of spilled fuel. Within about 50 seconds, the fire encompassed most of the right (downwind) side of the airplane.

Also, a preliminary examination of the wreckage indicated that most of the fabric covering on the fuselage was damaged or consumed by fire.

"The right wing and cockpit furnishings were almost completely consumed by fire, as were some of the aluminum flight control tubes," the safety board reported. The left wing and rudder /vertical stabilizer sustained impact deformation, but the cockpit occupiable volume was not compromised by deformation of any surrounding structure.

Questions have also been raised if the windy conditions played a part in the crash. NTSB would not confirm if the weather impacted the pilots flight, but reported that the SUU 1358 automated weather observation included wind from 240 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 21, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 18,000 feet, temperature 22 degrees C, dew point 12 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.99 inches of mercury.

According to FAA information, the pilot held single- and multi-engine airplane, and instrument airplane ratings, and was authorized to fly several experimental airplanes. His most recent FAA second class medical certificate was issued in June 2013.

Andreini , who had been flying since he was 16 years old, had more than 30 years experience in air shows, according to his website http://www.eddieandreiniairshows.com. He accumulated more than 6,000 hours flight time in a variety of diversified aircraft and was a commercial instrument rated pilot and possessed an FAA aerobatic Ground-Level Waiver.

A full report is expected to be released by the NTSB in nine months.

.....and personnel arrived at the airplane about 3 to 4 minutes after the accident, and extinguished the fire.

Strictly addressing timing....as I recall from my CG aviation firefighting testing, I believe it was respond within 1 minute and be on scene within 3 minutes. Again, I'd have to look in my notes but those times are what come to mind when we were tested on it.

What did you see specifically that leads you to say that?

Yes, please explain the evidence.

This is enough of a tragedy without posts like that.
If you have data, do not just troll, present the data so we may all learn.