Madras Airport: Madras, Oregon

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The pilot reported that he observed the uncontrolled airport's windsock as he approached runway 33 for landing. The wind direction varied between 290 and 330 degrees, and the speed varied between 10 and 15 knots. Two wind gusts were encountered as the pilot lowered the airplane's tail during rollout. The pilot took corrective action to compensate for the first gust, but when the second gust was encountered, he lost directional control. The airplane veered 40 to 50 feet off the runway. It came to a stop upon impacting a fence that punctured wing skin and fractured a rib. The pilot subsequently reported that his accident could have been prevented if, upon encountering the gusts, he had immediately increased engine power or performed a go-around. Updated at Oct 20 2009 1:50PM
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The airplane was observed by a witness about 9 miles from the accident site at about 1,000 feet agl making a "knife edge turn." Another witness about 8 miles from the accident site observed the airplane "doing knife-edge straight flight that ended in pulling up and slowing dramatically into level flight." Two other witnesses "heard an airplane motor sputtering" and then "observed the plane going down in a spiraling motion towards the ground." Examination of the accident site by local authorities and an FAA inspector revealed evidence indicating the airplane impacted the ground in a vertical descent with no forward speed. Control continuity was confirmed from the control surfaces to the cockpit controls. Disassembly of the engine found no evidence of catastrophic engine failure.
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The pilot was practicing aerobatic maneuvers in the single-seat experimental airplane when the accident occurred. Witnesses observed the pilot make a low pass down the runway and then enter a vertical ascent. The airplane climbed to about 1,500 feet agl, at which point the pilot placed the airplane in a flat spin. After completing 4 to 5 rotations, the pilot recovered from the spin. The witnesses estimated that after the spin recovery, the airplane was at an altitude between 70 and 200 feet agl. The airplane continued to descend, impacted the ground, exploded and was consumed by fire. An on scene examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector found no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical discrepancies.