KEYSTONE HEIGHTS, Fla. – News4JAX obtained the preliminary accident report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) detailing the events leading to the crash that killed a beloved stunt pilot.
According to the NTSB, the owner of the single-seat EA-330 and other pilots, including 46-year-old Warren Cilliers, met on the morning of Nov. 8 to practice aerobatic routines for an upcoming competition.
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The owner flew the plane first from St. Augustine to Keystone Heights to practice his routine. He did not report any issues on his flight, the NTSB report said.
Once he landed, the plane was refueled so Cillier could take flight and practice.
The report said Cilliers started the flight with a “warm-up figure,” a laydown figure eight. He then climbed to about 3,500 feet MSL (altitude above sea level).
Cilliers re-entered the aerobatic box and performed the first three maneuvers “very precisely,” according to the owner who was watching the flight.
Cilliers went to prepare the plane for the next move, which was a controlled, upside-down spin. The report said the plane entered an inverted spin but did not stop at the expected position.
The owner told investigators that he witnessed the “airplane [spin] another ½ -turn, before the pilot was able to stop the turn with the nose of the airplane pointed nose down about 30 degrees.”
The pilot appeared to gain control after six rotations, according to the owner, but was too low to fully recover.
The plane hit the ground and burst into flames at the Keystone Heights Airport, killing Cilliers.
Airport surveillance footage also captured the sounds of the plane’s engine using full power before the crash was caught on camera.