Woods Rufus Iii VANS RV-8A accident near Lucas, KS
On July 28, 2013, a Woods Rufus Iii VANS RV-8A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lucas, KS. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 28, 2013
- Place
- Lucas, KS
- Aircraft
- Woods Rufus Iii VANS RV-8A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.030°N, 98.589°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130728X71223
Official records · CEN13LA439
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On July 28, 2013, about 1230 central daylight time, a kit built Vans RV-8A airplane, N131RP, impacted terrain near Lucas, Kansas. The non-instrument rated private pilot was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Larned, Kansas, en route for Atlantic, Iowa. According to statements collected by the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, the accident airplane was flying in a trail formation from another airplane. The accident pilot was trailing the lead airplane while they maneuvered between cloud layers about 7,500 feet mean sea level. As the formation approached Lucas, Kansas, the accident pilot requested the heading of the lead airplane. The lead airplane's pilot reported his heading and saw the accident airplane about 1 mile behind him about 800 feet below his altitude. There were clouds about 1,000 feet below and 4,000-5,000 feet above the lead airplane and visibility was estimated between 4-5 miles. The accident pilot reported that he could not see the lead airplane. Shortly thereafter, the accident pilot again requested the lead airplane's heading. The lead airplane's pilot again reported his altitude, but could not visually locate the accident airplane. There were no further radio transmissions from the accident pilot. An eyewitness was repairing a fence in a pas
Probable cause
The noninstrument-rated pilot's inadvertent entry into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of airplane control.
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Browse: Kansas
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
