Vans RV14 accident near Virden, IL
On August 12, 2023, a Vans RV14 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Virden, IL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 12, 2023
- Place
- Virden, IL
- Aircraft
- Vans RV14 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.498°N, 89.782°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230812192848
Official records · CEN23FA359
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 12, 2023, about 0848 central daylight time, a Vans RV-14A airplane, N6161, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Virden, Illinois. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) captured the accident flight. The airplane departed the Litchfield Municipal Airport (3LF), Litchfield, Illinois, from runway 27 at 0838. The airplane flew to the north toward Virden and at 0847, the airplane pitched down rapidly and rolled roll until the airplane was inverted. The airplane made an estimated heading change of 125° toward the southwest. There were no witnesses for the initial inflight upset. When witnesses near the city of Virden first observed the airplane, it was already inverted and flying southwest. Some witnesses reported the engine made unusual noises. One witness observed the airplane inverted before it banked left and rolled upright. Another witness about ½ mile from the accident site saw the airplane upright at low altitude traveling from east to west. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot was the builder of the airplane. According to the hours recorded in the Garmin G3X system, the pilot had logged about 79 hours in the airplane and had also completed his most recent flight review in the airplane. Garmin Autopilot Knowledge Flight information extracted from the Garmin G3X showed that the pilot first flew the airplane on
Probable cause
The pilot/builder’s improper configuration of the canopy latch micro switch, which incorrectly signaled a closed canopy before flight that resulted in an inflight opening of the airplane’s canopy, an upset of the airplane, and a loss of control from which the pilot was unable to recover.
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Browse: Illinois · 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.
