I just heard from a friend that the control stick broke at the base - and he had no aileron or elevator control at all. But, he still flew around until he ran out of gas, steering with rudder only, before he jumped.
That's amazing!
FYI....
Initial Report, 04.04.06, 1251 EDT: Details are somewhat sketchy for the moment, but ANN has confirmed that Aerobatic Pilot Sean D. Tucker had to bail out of his 'Oracle Challenger' biplane today.
The aircraft was being used in a practice session when a control malfunction occurred requiring some 15 minutes of trouble-shooting before Sean was forced to leave the aircraft at a reported 8000 feet.
The aircraft went down over Coushatta, some 40 nm South of Shreveport, Louisiana and impacted in an open field after Sean deliberately chose an area likely to produce no hazards to anyone. The accident occurred at 1045 local time, the aircraft is pretty much destroyed, and most important of all -- Sean landed with no injuries.
While Sean was scheduled to perform in Lakeland this weekend, there is no word on the future status of his airshow schedule.