Steve Formhals

Does anyone have an update on how Steve is doing since the accident. I did a search and saw a reply from him the day he got home from the hospital but nothing lately. I'm just wondering if he is still doing ok. If anybody has an update I'm sure it would be appreciated.
Thanks and I hope everyone has a good day.

Here I am!

Justin
Couldn't sleep so I thought I'd log on and just saw your email.
I'm home and a little more than three weeks into a 12 week recuperation, in a body brace, for my back. I can't get around much, but I'm already thinking about what's next. Probably a rebuild of the RV8.
Life is pretty boring lately. I always thought laying around and watching TV would be the life of Riley, but I can't wait to get back to the day job and into a new RV project. The local RV community has been great and I get a lot of visits from them, which makes the time pass more quickly. Sometimes you don't realize how many really good friends you have, so cherish them all.
Someone was watching over us that day and I think we are lucky to be here at all. The plane was really beat up, but the cockpit area held together and saved me. The fact that the prop missed the driver in the car is a miracle. It couldn't have missed her by more than a few inches. The landing gear were left on the runway where the initial impact occurred. Luckily I was able to rotate and get airborne about 18 inches or so. The car and the ground around the plane was soaked with 42 gal of fuel, so it's also a miracle there wasn't a fire. As they say on the commercial..."Life comes at you fast!!!"
I'll attach a couple of pictures, FYI.

Thanks for updating us

Steve,
I'm glad to hear that recovery is progress well. And, I was very interested to see your second photo. Not being a builder nor an engineer, I wonder how much of the integrity of the cockpit after the crash was luck and how much was design. That photo sure is encouraging to me as I ride in the back of an -8 occasionally.

Wishing you God's speed to a quick recovery,

Thankful ......

......That He didn't quite want you there yet. We may live in Georgia but our hearts are in San Antone with you.

Godspeed my friend...

Thank you for that update, Steve. Your outlook (especially on rebuilding) brought a smile to my face. I'm SO grateful you weren't more seriously injured and can't wait to see you around some time in the future.

Sidenote: So you look at a canopy in the garage funny and it cracks - you drive a car into the plane and it doesn't. Go figure .

Best,
Doug

Morning Steve,

I'm sure glad to hear that you're doing better! Wow... you're not kidding, a miracle day for the both of you. Not only do I see the cockpit area that protected you but the canopy looks to be untouched.

Your spirits are high, keep working on the progress and if you need anything just ask.

I say jack up that canopy and build an airplane under it Steve!

Glad to hear that you are still with us, and thinking down the road towards a flying RV again. We've only met a couple of times, but I hope to see much more of you in the future RV world when our center of gravity shifts towards the Hill country.

Mend well, then build again!

Paul

(p.s: I'd also like to see more picturs of the cockpit area from an interest in survivability.....how did the harness attach points hold up?)

Thanks for the update.

I am glad to hear that you are recovering well and I can't wait to see your next creation. One of the two brothers that is mentoring me on my 6 build was in a very serious near fatal crash of a 4. After his recovery they built another 4 that is absolutely gorgeous and has been flying for 11 years now. I love the spirit that our community possesses.

God be with you as you recover.

Doug, thanks for giving us a place to check up on people.

How the cockpit faired

Thanks to everyone for the notes.
As to the cockpit area and seat belt attach points:
None of the attach points failed and I did not have any frontal contact on the panel.
Since I was rotating at the impact, the seat and floor failed in a compression mode, allowing the seat back to fall into the back seat and I went down under the seat back support, ending up sitting in the front seat but laying down on the back seat.
The seat belts had to be unbuckled for them to get me out. (My right leg was trapped between the right spar and the lower right shelf bracket, that normally sits forward and below the spar.)
If I had not been able to rotate, the crash would probably have been much worse. Although the rear seat is pushed back in the last picture, that happened later. It was still in place at the time of the accident.
At any rate, here's a few more pictures showing the cockpit area.

Amazing photos Steve. Glad to have you back!! So, when's the order for a new kit? Insurance covering everything?

Steve,

It is good to hear you are doing so well, considering the pictures.

What I find interesting is the rivets on the left side of the fuselage look to have failed in shear and did not pull through. (Some did pull through, but not all) I could be wrong here, so please correct me.

Also, it is good to see you were not impaled by any of the equipment installed, such as the flap motor.

Godspeed with the healing and building.

So glad to hear from you!

Steve,

You were kind enough to show me around your plane at LOE. I live near Dona Ana airport and have almost finished an 8 with almost identical avionics, prop, gear etc. I was so inspired with your plane and your words were so encouraging. Now, I want to send some encouragement back. The guy across from me at KELP flipped his 6 on it's inaugural flight. He rebuilt it and now flys regularly. You guys are my heros! This whole RV venture is about so much more than just airplanes. It's more about the enduring spirits that participate in it. Hopefully you'll allow me the honor of submitting my 8 for your approval and some flying when it's done. Godspeed to you, the others and your new airplane!

Dennis Flosi El Paso, Texas

Steve, It was bitter sweet to walk up and see your acft for myself. Sad to see your bird in that state, but "very" glad to hear how you are coming along.
Hang in there! Also wanted to thank you for your help in finding my -8 tail kit.
Alan

Glad to hear you're recovering nicely.
Odd how cleanly the fuselage spilt at the main fore/aft joint, the one with the double column of rivets.

Steve

Steve,
The pictures are certainly heartbreaking, but hearing from you is wonderful news to all of us in the Vans community. We're all trying to figure out how we can help you, and resting on the hope that either you or your local EAA chapter will let us know. Your Eight was one of the finest ever, and we're all willing to chip in - in some way - to see you piloting another.

Rest up and get right back at 'em !

Don't know for sure

N941WR said:

What I find interesting is the rivets on the left side of the fuselage look to have failed in shear and did not pull through. (Some did pull through, but not all) I could be wrong here, so please correct me.
QUOTE]

You are correct, some look to be sheared and some pulled out. I wasn't able to inspect it at the scene, since I was was otherwise occupied, but some of the rivets may have pulled out during the rescue and moving the plane to the hangar. It was basically broken in half by the impact, though.

Click to expand...

Insurance-like question. The panel looks to be in good conditions and the instruments look fine and they certainly look to be some nice ones. Can you use those again or do they belong to the insurance company now?

Don't know yet!

Bob Collins said:

Insurance-like question. The panel looks to be in good conditions and the instruments look fine and they certainly look to be some nice ones. Can you use those again or do they belong to the insurance company now?

Click to expand...

I haven't been able to inspect anything yet, since I'll be laid up for at least another couple of months, but all of the insurance stuff is still up in the air, pending their evaluation of the plane, not to mention medical issues. It'll probably be a fairly long process, overall.

Steve,
Glad to hear you are feeling better. I couldn't help but notice how you located your throttle quadrant inboard and back a little further than standard. I am looking to do this as well for better access to the throttle during formation flying. I have seen this done occasionally on other -8's. Can you tell me, is there a kit somewhere to do this? or did you design that completely custom?
-Brad

wow... glad you are alive!!!

Hey Steve! Glad you are alive man! I absolutely would not wish that on anybody. If there is anything I can do to help, Let me know... I spent several months in a wheelchair and in bed... No fun.... I will never take for granted the ability to bend my legs ever again. The writeup in your aircraft logbook should state, "Aircraft removed from canopy, replaced aircraft. MOC ok."
Best
Brian Wallis
404-405-1315

Insurance like response,

Steve you should have first salvage rights, if it is fully insured take the stated value and move on, if only partially covered buying back you plane may be a good fiscal move and it may be a good move even if it totals out. Check your policy while you recover for your and their rights to salvage. A savy salvor may see much more value in your "wreck" than you or your adjuster. Especially if the avionics and engine/prop are in good shape. Contrary to popular belief, you still own the airplane and all it's contents, it's up to you to consider the benefits to out bid the salvor to get back your hull (complete) for the stated value of your policy minus the highest salvage bid. If your not in possession of the aircraft, get it out of any storage facility NOW. Move it to a place if possible that doesn't charge astronomical fees to let your aircraft sit there. FWIW, most adjusters only care about storage up till they cut you a check, than your on the hook as soon as you receive settlement for your claim. I have seen property taken by storage yards in exchange for storage fees that are so high it would make your blood boil. And then there is the determination of liability and negligence regarding your accident. I know not of the facts, but if you have no negligence in the accident, and choose to become a third party claimant against the responsible party, you should also be able to claim rights to keep your aircraft in exchange for the same dollar amount of a fair salvage bid. If your not represented, beware of the adverse parties liability limits and make sure they are adequate to cover your damages, if not get behind your own insurance company to recover your losses. Sorry guys, I guess I was starting to get on my seminar soap box....

Rick Sked
Aircraft Mutual Benefit Company (Hoping for more interested parties)

Thanks...

Thanks for the timely post, Rick. Your profile does not indicate that you sell insurance and is vague as "Safety engineer". More about your business?

Regards,

I'm sure it's getting off topic but, to pay the bills I work for Perini Building Company. I wear several hats there depending on the day but Safety, Risk Managment and Loss Control are the main ones. If anyone has seen the City Center Project in Las Vegas you have seen my daily stomping grounds along with several others in Las Vegas and Phoenix. I am licensed as a producer of insurance in Nevada, and previously managed a self insured casino group, Aircraft Mutual was put together to see if the same thing could be done with RV's. Everyone seems to think it's a great idea, but getting enough serious interest has been slow. My web page is OK, but I'm looking for someone to take it over and update and clean it up and keep it working. If there is an interested web guy I'm open to discussion. Sorry if I went off the topic.