Vans RV4 accident near Safford, AZ
On June 9, 2020, a Vans RV4 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Safford, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 9, 2020
- Place
- Safford, AZ
- Aircraft
- Vans RV4 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 32.841°N, 109.623°W
- NTSB ID
- 20200609X02011
Official records · WPR20LA176
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 9, 2020, about 0846 mountain standard time, an experimental, amateur-built RV4, N173CW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Safford, Arizona. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. ADS-B data revealed that the airplane departed from runway 11R at Tucson International Airport (TUS), Tucson, Arizona, about 0810, and initiated a climbing left turn to the northeast. The airplane continued on the same track, reaching an altitude of about 9,800 ft mean sea level (msl) about 7 minutes later. For the next 25 minutes, the airplane maintained the same general altitude and heading over the mountain passes northeast of Tucson, between 4,000 ft and 7,000 ft above ground level (agl). About 0836, 28 miles southwest of Safford Regional Airport (SAD), Safford, Arizona, the airplane began to descend at a rate of about 500 ft per minute (fpm). Seven minutes later, the airplane changed track to the north, toward SAD, descending at a rate of about 800 fpm, and an airspeed factored for wind and atmospheric conditions of about 150 kts. The airplane slowed to about 110 kts about 1.25 miles short of runway 30. Then, having reached an altitude of 4,200 ft msl (about 1,250 ft agl), the airplane began an almost 5,000-fpm, 15-second descent, while accelerating to a speed of 150 kts (see figure 1). The first identified point of impact consisted of a 25-ft-long ground disruption located at an elevation of 3,090 ft msl, about 500 ft north of the last ADS-B target and
Probable cause
A loss of pitch control during the landing approach due to a jammed elevator control system.
More accidents in AZ
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Browse: Arizona · 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.
