Vans RV-4 accident near Walsenburg, CO
On December 8, 2021, a Vans RV-4 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Walsenburg, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 8, 2021
- Place
- Walsenburg, CO
- Aircraft
- Vans RV-4 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 37.793°N, 104.576°W
- NTSB ID
- 20211208104374
Official records · CEN22FA064
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 8, 2021, about 1013 mountain standard time, a Vans RV-4 airplane, N456MC, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Walsenburg, Colorado. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to two other pilots involved in the flight, the accident flight was a three-airplane formation flight to practice position changes and low-level maneuvering. The three airplanes departed Meadow Lake Airport (FLY), Colorado Springs, Colorado, and headed south with the accident airplane as the lead airplane. About 30 minutes after takeoff, the airplanes flew south past Pueblo, Colorado, and began a descent toward the Cucharas Reservoir, northeast of Walsenburg. The airplanes were in a right-echelon route formation and were prepared to go to a trail formation for low-level maneuvering within the river canyon. About 1 mile north of the reservoir, the accident pilot directed the two other pilots to “go trail,” and he made a left turn and a descent toward a river canyon that extended north of the reservoir. The pilots reported they entered a descent and encountered strong surface winds and turbulence above the canyon rim. The accident pilot’s airplane descended below the canyon rim and continued the descent to near the bottom of the canyon. One pilot reported there was a strong south-southwest wind (210° at 35 mph) a couple thousand feet above the surface, so he remained above the canyon rim to assess potential turbulence. During the third turn and les
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while intentionally maneuvering in a canyon at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to enter a canyon environment at a low altitude, and the sudden change in wind conditions within the canyon.
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Browse: Colorado · 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.
