Adopted February, 1944

File No. 3613-43

REPORT OF THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD

on the

Investigation of an Accident Involving Aircraft During a Local Pleasure Flight

Pilots Stanley Jerome and Ralph Gaylord Jackson were fatally injured on an accident which occurred approximately one-half mile west of Vandergrift Airport, Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, about 3:10 p.m. on August 14, 1943. Jerome held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land, 0-330 h.p. rating. He had flown approximately 260 solo hours, 235 of which were in the type of airplane involved. Jackson held a student pilot certificate and had completed her Training Service elementary, secondary, cross-country, Line trainer and instrument courses. The aircraft, a Piper J3L-65, NC 32854, owned by J. J. Jerome, was demolished.

Jerome, occupying the front seat and Jackson the rear, took from the Vandergrift Airport at approximately 3:00 p.m. on a local pleasure flight. About ten minutes later witnesses saw the aircraft began a rotating maneuver while continued into a spin ten altitude they estimated to have been 600 feet above the *** over which it was flying. After approximately two turns of a left spin, the plane struck the ground, with power on, at an angle of about 45 degree.

Examination of the wreckage reveled no evidence of failure of any part of the aircraft prior to the accident and the manner in which the propeller was broken indicated that considerable power was being developed at the time of impact. Dual controls were installed and operative. Neither Jerome nor Jackson wore a parachute. The weather was clear with a gusty west wind of 16 m. p. h.

Investigation revealed that prior to take-off Jerome and Jackson had discussed Jerome’s difficulty in executing snap rolls properly, and they had signified their intention of practicing this maneuver in an attempt to determine and correct the fault in Jerome’s technique. Jerome was reputed to be overconfident with a tendency to attempt maneuvers he did not know how to execute and at altitudes too low for safety. It is apparent that he should have arranged for coaching or perhaps further instruction in the maneuver from a certificated instructor.

While the feet that and controls were installed and operative may have been a definite contributing factor, the probable a use of this accident was failure to recover from an attempted acrobatic maneuver performed it a dangerously low altitude.

BY THE BOARD

/s/Fred A. Toombs

Secretary.