Vans Aircraft Inc RV-12 accident near Bonita Springs, FL

On January 22, 2018, a Vans Aircraft Inc RV-12 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Bonita Springs, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

January 22, 2018

Place

Bonita Springs, FL

Aircraft

Vans Aircraft Inc RV-12 · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

26.339°N, 81.664°W

NTSB ID

20180122X32841

Official records · ERA18FA064

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• ATC Accident Package FMY (excerpts): Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• ATC Accident Package RSW (excerpts): Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 22, 2018, about 1214 eastern standard time, an experimental light sport Van's Aircraft, Inc., RV-12, N262WS, was destroyed when it collided with terrain near Bonita Springs, Florida. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated at Page Field (FMY), Fort Myers, Florida, about 1148 and was destined for Everglades Airpark (X01), Everglades City, Florida. According to air traffic control (ATC) voice communications and radar data obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), at 1146, the pilot contacted the FMY local controller and requested flight following to X01. At 1158, the pilot was instructed to fly runway heading and was cleared for takeoff. At 1200, the FMY controller instructed the pilot to contact departure control. The pilot did not respond. The controller repeated the instructions and the pilot again did not respond. The controller then called the departure controller, who reported that the pilot had not contacted them after departure. The controller called the pilot a third time and he did not respond. At 1201, the pilot contacted the Southwest Florida International Air Traffic Control Tower east radar controller. The controller directed the pilot to turn right to a heading of 170º and maintain 2,500 ft mean sea level (msl). At 1202, the pilot asked the controller to repeat the instruction. The controller re

Probable cause

The pilot's unsafe maneuvering and exceedance of the airplane's operating limitations, which resulted in an in-flight failure of the left wing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's underlying physiologic or psychiatric disease.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.