Blackmore RV-4 accident near Sedona, AZ
On June 14, 1998, a Blackmore RV-4 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Sedona, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 14, 1998
- Place
- Sedona, AZ
- Aircraft
- Blackmore RV-4 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.940°N, 111.940°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X10354
NTSB summary
On June 14, 1998, about 1145 hours mountain standard time, an experimental Blackmore RV-4, N813R, collided with mountainous terrain south of Sedona, Arizona. The aircraft was destroyed and the private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft, owned and operated by the pilot, was on a local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The flight originated from the Sedona airport about 1120. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector performed an on-site inspection of the aircraft wreckage. He observed that the accident site was located on the northeast side of Cathedral Rock, a tall, rock formation that stands 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. Cathedral Rock is formed by two main spires with a 200-foot-wide gap between them. The wreckage was located about 200 yards from the northeast side of this gap, about 100 feet below the steep terrain that angles downward about 45 to 60 degrees. According to the inspector, the aircraft was resting on a southeasterly heading. The inspector judged that, from the frontal damage to the aircraft and lack of disturbance to the surrounding vegetation, the aircraft impacted the ground on a steep angle relative to the terrain. Retrieval of the engine tachometer, altimeter, and turn coordinator indicated the aircraft was developing 2,450 rpm's approximately 4,400 feet msl, while in a slightly banked right turn. An inspection of the engine by the manufacturer representative, under the supervision of t
Probable cause
The pilot's attempt to perform aerobatics with insufficient terrain clearance altitude available to complete the maneuver. A factor was high density altitude.
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Browse: Arizona
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
