List of Air Show Accidents and Incidents - 2011

2011

• October 14 - The fourth prototype Xian JH-7A, 814, of the China Flight Test Establishment of the People's Liberation Army Air Force crashed into a marsh near Wei Nan City, Pucheng in Shaanxi Province, China, while performing in an airshow associated with the China International General Aviation Convention. The airframe came down about 1 mile (1.6 km.) from Pucheng Neifu Airport. One pilot ejected safely but the second crewman was killed.
• September 17 – A T-28C Trojan, N688GR, crashed during the Thunder over the Blue Ridge Open House and Air Show in Martinsburg, West Virginia killing pilot John Mangan.
• September 16 – 2011 Reno Air Races crash – Pilot Jimmy Leeward lost control of his highly modified P-51D Mustang "Galloping Ghost" and crashed into spectators at the National Championship Air Races and Air Show, killing 10 spectators, injuring 69 spectators and killing himself. The NTSB critically investigated the incident and found that it was traveling about 445 knots when it experienced a left roll upset at 17.3 Gs when a section of the left elevator trim tab separated in flight. The deteriorated locknut inserts that allowed trim tab attachment screws to become loose, which ultimately led to aerodynamic flutter at racing speeds.
• August 21 – Wing Walker Todd Green fell 200 feet while attempting an aircraft transfer from a Stearman to a Hughes 369 helicopter at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base Air Show in Harrison Township, Michigan. He was seriously injured and taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
• August 20 – A Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team "Red Arrows" aircraft (BAE Hawk T1) crashed after performing at an air show in Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom. The pilot issued a Mayday call at 1350 hrs., and was witnessed to have plunged into the ground next to the river Stour, near the village of Throop. The pilot, 33-year old Flt. Lt. Jon Egging, was killed in the crash.
• August 20 – Stunt pilot Bryan Jensen was killed when his modified Pitts 12 "The Beast" crashed at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport at the Kansas City Airshow in Kansas City, Missouri, around 1:30pm.
• 28 July - A General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon, 87-296, of the 187th Fighter Wing, Alabama Air National Guard, flying out of Montgomery Air National Guard Base, overruns the runway at Wittman Regional Airport at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The nose gear collapsed, the nose radome broke and the air-frame skidded to a stop. The pilot was uninjured.
• July 10 - At the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, a North American P-51 Mustang, "Big Beautiful Doll", piloted by Rob Davies and a Douglas A-1 Skyraider were involved in a mid-air collision - The Skyraider pilot was able to land safely despite suffering wing damage, Pilot Rob Davies parachuted to safety and his P-51 crashed and was destroyed.
• July 9 – A replica Fokker Dr.I lost power at about 600 ft (180 m) above the ground during a mock dogfight at the Geneseo Air Show. The pilot, 67-year old Joseph Auger, attempted a controlled powerless glide, but the landing gear got caught on cornstalks and flipped over. The pilot was able to extricate himself from the wreckage and sustained only minor injuries.
• July 3 – A Bücker Jungmann belonging to the Shuttleworth Collection crashed during a practice for that day's display. The pilot walked away from the crash suffering only slight injuries.
• June 18 - Christen Eagle II aircraft crashed into the river Wisla at the Air Show in Plock, Poland. The pilot Marek Szufa who was also a pilot of Boeing 767 in Polish airlines LOT died three hours later in a hospital. In his life he spent 20 000 hours in the air and took part in many air shows and championships.
• June 4 – 71-year-old Bill Phipps, experienced Campbell River, British Columbia pilot severely injured while performing aerobatics at the Wings and Wheels event at Nanaimo Airport, British Columbia.
• March 12 – While performing their Pirated Skies wing walking act, Kyle and Amanda Franklin were severely injured when their Waco JMF-7 nicknamed "Mystery Ship", suffered an apparent engine failure at the CAF 2011 Air Fiesta in Brownsville, TX. Both were listed as in stable condition with burns covering more than 60% of their bodies. Kyle's burns were not as serious as first reported. Amanda had successful surgery March 16, and was believed to have a good recovery chance at that time, but died on May 27.