Narrative:

Landed at air show at xa on 5/sat/89. Low clouds between houston and anahuac delayed arrival of participating aircraft. Spectators were back of dead line, waiting. At xb I became bored with nothing happening for an hour. I stared my small aircraft and advised anahuac control that I was departing. They advised no traffic in the area. I said I'd sure like to do a knife edge along the runway after the takeoff. Control replied, 'do whatever you want.' I took it to be sanction to do some aerobatics for the spectators, because nothing had stirred in an hour. I am a professional air show performer with ground level waiver, medical and BFR all current. Upon takeoff the engine began missing. I turned off the radio so I could better hear the engine noises. I thinned the mixture and corrected it. I neglected to turn the radio back on and proceeded with a slow roll, barrel roll, chandelle, snap roll and hammer head. Coming out of the hammer head I saw 4 small aircraft's off in the distance. Feeling I had done a favor for the show and spectators I headed home. I had a passenger and we both wore parachutes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he was scheduled as a participant in the upcoming air show, but since the area WX was poor, many of the other performers did not arrive and so the show was indefinitely delayed. A large crowd had gathered and all procedures to commence the show had been completed. He states that all pilot requirements had been met by himself and the airspace had been activated. After a long delay he decided to return home, but would perform his portion of the show on departure to satisfy the crowd. Unfortunately he did not coordinate this activity appropriately and then lost radio contact with the temporary tower after departure and during his demonstration. After returning home he was advised by friends of potential problems and so he voluntarily visited the local FAA office and explained the situation. He states that an investigation is in progress.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AEROBATIC FLYING ACTIVITIES IN ARPT TRAFFIC PATTERN WITHOUT OFFICIAL SANCTION.

Narrative: LANDED AT AIR SHOW AT XA ON 5/SAT/89. LOW CLOUDS BTWN HOUSTON AND ANAHUAC DELAYED ARR OF PARTICIPATING ACFT. SPECTATORS WERE BACK OF DEAD LINE, WAITING. AT XB I BECAME BORED WITH NOTHING HAPPENING FOR AN HR. I STARED MY SMA AND ADVISED ANAHUAC CTL THAT I WAS DEPARTING. THEY ADVISED NO TFC IN THE AREA. I SAID I'D SURE LIKE TO DO A KNIFE EDGE ALONG THE RWY AFTER THE TKOF. CTL REPLIED, 'DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.' I TOOK IT TO BE SANCTION TO DO SOME AEROBATICS FOR THE SPECTATORS, BECAUSE NOTHING HAD STIRRED IN AN HR. I AM A PROFESSIONAL AIR SHOW PERFORMER WITH GND LEVEL WAIVER, MEDICAL AND BFR ALL CURRENT. UPON TKOF THE ENG BEGAN MISSING. I TURNED OFF THE RADIO SO I COULD BETTER HEAR THE ENG NOISES. I THINNED THE MIXTURE AND CORRECTED IT. I NEGLECTED TO TURN THE RADIO BACK ON AND PROCEEDED WITH A SLOW ROLL, BARREL ROLL, CHANDELLE, SNAP ROLL AND HAMMER HEAD. COMING OUT OF THE HAMMER HEAD I SAW 4 SMA'S OFF IN THE DISTANCE. FEELING I HAD DONE A FAVOR FOR THE SHOW AND SPECTATORS I HEADED HOME. I HAD A PAX AND WE BOTH WORE PARACHUTES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE WAS SCHEDULED AS A PARTICIPANT IN THE UPCOMING AIR SHOW, BUT SINCE THE AREA WX WAS POOR, MANY OF THE OTHER PERFORMERS DID NOT ARRIVE AND SO THE SHOW WAS INDEFINITELY DELAYED. A LARGE CROWD HAD GATHERED AND ALL PROCS TO COMMENCE THE SHOW HAD BEEN COMPLETED. HE STATES THAT ALL PLT REQUIREMENTS HAD BEEN MET BY HIMSELF AND THE AIRSPACE HAD BEEN ACTIVATED. AFTER A LONG DELAY HE DECIDED TO RETURN HOME, BUT WOULD PERFORM HIS PORTION OF THE SHOW ON DEP TO SATISFY THE CROWD. UNFORTUNATELY HE DID NOT COORDINATE THIS ACTIVITY APPROPRIATELY AND THEN LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH THE TEMPORARY TWR AFTER DEP AND DURING HIS DEMONSTRATION. AFTER RETURNING HOME HE WAS ADVISED BY FRIENDS OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND SO HE VOLUNTARILY VISITED THE LCL FAA OFFICE AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. HE STATES THAT AN INVESTIGATION IS IN PROGRESS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.