Vans RV8 accident near Langley, WA
On January 12, 2019, a Vans RV8 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Langley, WA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- January 12, 2019
- Place
- Langley, WA
- Aircraft
- Vans RV8 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 48.032°N, 122.438°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190112X64707
Official records · WPR19LA062
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 12, 2019, about 1115 Pacific standard time, an experimental, amateur-built Vans Aircraft Inc. RV8A, N800KE, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Langley, Washington. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an Alert Notification for the missing airplane after the pilot of another airplane made a distress call for an experimental airplane that had gone down. A search ensued and the airplane was located by local law enforcement about 15 minutes later. The pilot and passenger departed Snohomish County Airport, Paine Field (PAE), Everett, Washington, on a personal flight to a nearby airport. While approaching Whidbey Air Park Airport (W10), Langley, Washington, for landing, a witness reported that the airplane was turning from the base to final leg of the airport traffic pattern when its nose dropped and it rolled to the left; the airplane subsequently entered a steep dive and spun into the trees. The passenger reported that, during the turn from base to final, the airplane's left wing was down, and it "fluttered" like it stalled. The airplane then descended like a "lawn dart." The airplane was equipped with a Garmin VIRB onboard camera, which was mounted just aft of the front seat behind the pilot's right shoulder and captured the accident flight. Review of the footage revealed that the pilot initiated a left turn from the downwind to base leg of the ai
Probable cause
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering in the airport traffic pattern, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of control at an altitude too low for recovery.
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Browse: Washington · Vans aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
