Simviation Forums

Someone sent this to me on YouTube... it's in-cockpit footage of the husband-and-wife French Connection team doing a little practicing over the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, of all places. Watch the whole thing, because it goes from takeoff thru climbout uninterrupted. ... not much happens at first.
Watch how Daniel is constantly adjusting the throttle; it's like a formation  aerobatics tutorial just watching him stay formed up on his wife Montaine (who was no slouch, herself!). Incredible, and not as intense as their usual display, BTW.
I'm very glad I got to see them perform... and very sad that I never will again. Their smiling faces at the end of the clip brought tears to my eyes...  


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMRrjs0H ... aerobatics

WOW  :o

.Mic

That's some tight formation flying!


How did they die?

That's some tight formation flying!


How did they die?

NTSB Identification: MIA00FA172A
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, May 27, 2000 in BUNNELL, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/17/2001
Aircraft: AVIONS MUDRY ET CIE CAP 10B, registration: N82BW
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

The two-aircraft formation aerobatic air show team was performing low level, (500 to 700 feet, agl) aerobatic maneuvers over their home base, Flagler County Airport, Bunnell, Florida, with the intention of producing an audio/videotape for promotional and documentary purposes. Examination of the audio/videotape revealed that after about 17 minutes of routine that involved formation overheads, hammerhead stalls, split-ups and rejoins, the team entered a third hammerhead stall in the two abreast formation. In the recovery, the wingman failed to maintain the two abreast formation in their vertical downward recovery and never established himself in his own vertical downward line, resulting in his misplacing his aircraft ahead of and encroaching into the lead's downward vertical airspace. The videotape shows the lead aircraft's low wing configuration prevented observation of the wingman until too late to avoid the midair collision. Postcrash examination of both aircraft revealed no engine, flight control, or airframe component failure or malfunction that could be considered causal. All aircraft components were contained within the immediate wreckage area.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
A midair collision due to the failure of the wingman to maintain proper clearance between his aircraft and the lead aircraft while conducting formation aerobatics and the subsequent loss of control of both aircraft resulting in an uncontrolled descent and collision of both aircraft with the terrain. A factor in the accident was the faulty design of the belly-to-belly maneuver that required the wingman to discontinue continuous observation of the lead aircraft.

They'd done it hundreds of times without mishap, but when the margin for error is that small, one teensy mistake and you're finished. Neither aircraft was controllable after the collision, and they were too low to bail out.

amazing video they were truly an icon as far as aerobatics are concerned. Wishing I had a chance to see them perform sometime before they passed.

amazing video they were truly an icon as far as aerobatics are concerned. Wishing I had a chance to see them perform sometime before they passed.

It's too bad. I've seen the jet teams and many other really amazing, precise performers, but these two were special. Their routine was artful, and a wonderful expession of their relationship.