RV accident reports

NEW INCIDENTS

SD - Tea. 8/17/09. Two people were killed when N98AW was doing some aerobatics in an RV-8. Witnesses said the engine sputtered. Argus Leader. Judging from this picture, this plane was affiliated with the Vanguard Squadron, which touts the benefits of ethanol.

FINAL REPORTS

CA. Fresno. Probably cause released, 8/13/09, in November 2008 incident in which an RV-6 crashed on landing, seriously injuring the pilot.

The pilot reported that during the initial climb the engine misfired and only produced "marginal power." As he executed a left turn back towards the airport, the engine lost power and he performed a forced landing onto a golf course. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a berm and became airborne again. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard and came to rest upright. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane fuselage was structurally damaged. Examination of the converted Ford engine by the pilot revealed that the fuel system was intact and undamaged. The pilot also reported finding "no obvious" anomalies with the ignition system. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The loss of engine power during initial climb for undetermined reasons.

FL: Titusville. Probable cause released in the 3/1/08 crash that killed three people in a runway collision between a velocity and an RV-8. (More)

The accident, an on-ground collision between two airplanes at a non-towered airport, occurred when the lead airplane in a flight of four RV-8s, which had landed and exited the runway, was struck by a Velocity not associated with the flight. Witnesses stated that the flight of four RV-8s announced their intentions to land in formation on Runway 15 over the radio and on the same frequency that the Velocity announced its intention to conduct a straight in approach to Runway 15. The Velocity arrived on final just behind the fourth RV-8, and touched down on the runway close to the approach end. The Velocity then drifted left off the runway and onto the grass. It passed to the left of the three trailing RV-8s that were still on the runway, and struck the lead RV-8, which had cleared the runway to the left on a taxiway in the vicinity of the departure end of the runway. At some point prior to the collision, engine power on the Velocity increased. Examination of the Velocity did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions, and the weather in the area was conducive for visual flight rules operations.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot of the Velocity’s failure to see and avoid the flight of four RV-8s that had landed and were in the process of clearing the runway.