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June 12, 2020 · Vans RV8 Undesignat · N553KM

Hampton, GA

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
June 12, 2020
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 serious injury)
Location
Hampton, GA
Aircraft
Vans RV8 Undesignat (2004)
Tail Number
N553KM
Operator
Rieder Kenneth J
Injuries
Serious
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ERA20LA213

During the airplane’s initial climb after takeoff, witnesses reported hearing the engine misfire and seeing black smoke trailing the airplane. The pilot performed a 180° turn and approached the departure runway in the opposite direction and overflew the airport environment. The airplane subsequently entered a 180° turn for landing on the departure runway and impacted terrain in a flat attitude at the approach end of the runway. The landing gear and cockpit canopy separated, and the wings and the fuselage were substantially damaged. Video of the accident captured the airplane in steep pitch and roll attitudes at low altitude. A detailed postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the fuel nozzle on the No. 2 cylinder was blocked and the spark plugs (top and bottom) revealed signatures consistent with "rich" mixtures in the Nos. 1 and 4 cylinders and "lean" mixtures in the Nos. 2 and 3 cylinders. The blocked fuel nozzle likely resulted in the partial loss of engine power.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s excessive maneuvering at low altitude following a partial loss of engine power which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.

Full Narrative

On June 12, 2020, at 1950 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Vans RV8 airplane, N553KM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Henry County Airport (HMP), Hampton, Georgia. The pilot was seriously injured. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. A witness captured the accident flight on video. The airplane is seen taking off, entering a steep climb, performing a tight 180° turn, and then descending steeply before leveling off near the ground and traveling in the opposite direction of takeoff over the airfield as the video ends. The engine can be heard misfiring throughout the video and black smoke can be seen trailing the airplane. Witness testimony of what was seen and heard was consistent with the video. Witnesses further described the airplane entering a subsequent 180°-turn for landing on the departure runway. At low altitude, and low airspeed, the airplane "stalled." The airplane subsequently aligned with the left base leg of the traffic pattern for runway 06 at a low altitude and then impacted terrain in a flat attitude at the approach end of the runway. The landing gear and cockpit canopy separated, and the wings and the fuselage were substantially damaged. Examination of video footage of the accident flight forwarded by the airplane’s owner revealed a steep, nearly vertical climb after takeoff, followed by maneuvers consistent with those described by the witnesses. Data recovered from non-volatile memory of onboard avionics suggested a steep pitch upward followed by a steep left roll after takeoff. The maneuvers were depicted below 500 ft, over the runway environment, with large pitch and roll values, followed by a loss of oil pressure and RPM. A postaccident examination of the airplane was conducted and flight control continuity was confirmed. The engine was examined, and the No. 2 fuel nozzle was found blocked by an unspecified material. Examination of the spark plugs (top and bottom) revealed signatures consistent with "rich" mixtures in the Nos. 1 and 4 cylinders, and "lean" mixtures in the Nos. 2 and 3 cylinders. No other anomalies were noted with the airframe or engine.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time19:50 EDT
Nearest AirportHenry County Airport (0nm NW)
Runway06
Runway Length5500 ft
Runway Width75 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftVans RV8 Undesignat
Tail NumberN553KM
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorRieder Kenneth J
Operating RulePart 91
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsJba · IO-360-B1XC3 · Reciprocating · 185
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 serious injury)
Fatal0
Serious1
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 50 · First Class · Serious

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind70° @ 3 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point61 F
Altimeter30.07 inHg
Observation Time23:55
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data