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Recent Accidents: RV-6A, RV-7, RV-12, RV-14A

RV8JD

RV8JD

Well Known Member
Recent Accidents: RV-4, RV-6A, RV-7, RV-12, RV-14A, RV-6A

After a couple of accident-free months for RVs in the USA, there have been 6 accidents so far this month.

- RV-4, 4/7/2023, Cedar Key, FL. The airplane reportedly porpoised on landing and struck several trees. No fatalities, 2 seriously injured.



- RV-6A, 4/8/2023, Goldsby, OK. Lost engine power during takeoff, flipped on landing, no fatalities:



- RV-7, 4/8/2023, Morgan County, UT. Lost engine power at altitude, flipped on landing in snow, no fatalities:



- RV-12, 4/11/2023, Greensboro, NC. 1 fatality and 1 serious injury:



- RV-14A, 4/13/2023, Fallston, MD. No fatalities, pilot in critical condition.



- RV-6A, 4/25/2023, New Hope, OH. Lost engine power and made a forced landing in a field and flipped upside down. No fatalities, 1 with minor injuries.

 
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From the article on the 2nd crash:
"A second call cam in to the Weber dispatch center not long thereafter from the sister of the pilot, the aircraft's sole occupant at the time of the incident. "

...thank you posting the links. It's always interesting to get an understanding of why people go down.
 
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RV8JD said:
- 4/8/2023. RV-7, lost engine power at altitude, flipped on landing in snow, no fatalities:

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These photos show an amazing story. Look at the landing roll. This pilot was clearly flying right, or got very lucky, or both. He was trapped in the aircraft, helped out by the firefighters, treated at the scene, and released. He ended up a few feet from a road, making access much easier.

RV7UtahFlip2023-1.jpg

RV7UtahFlip2023-2.jpg

RV7UtahFlip2023-3.jpg
 
NC -12 Crash

A go fund me page has been set up for the surviving occupant ... Jimmy is just 38 years old with 3 young daughters. Optimistically ... he will remain on the ventilator for at least 2 months and in the hospital for 5+ months in the burn unit. He is a very active A&P/Pilot in the area.

Some people have also donated hotel miles to his wife who will be spending a lot of time at the hospital.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-j...nd-family-fund

If anyone would like to transfer hotel miles ... just reach out to me and I will give you her point number.

[email protected]
__________________
 
Particularly bad time of the year if running Mogas. Winter blend auto fuel with lower vapor pressure rating is more prone to Vapor Lock when ambient temperatures start to rise in the Spring. Changeover to summer blend auto fuel with higher vapor pressure rating isn’t until June. So, long period of dicey operation. Perhaps mix some 100LL with Mogas in the interim period. See... https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=194385&highlight=vapor+lock
 
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Piper J3 said:
Particularly bad time of the year if running Mogas. Winter blend auto fuel with lower vapor pressure rating is more prone to Vapor Lock when ambient temperatures start to rise in the Spring. Changeover to summer blend auto fuel with higher vapor pressure rating isn’t until June. So, long period of dicey operation. Perhaps mix some 100LL with Mogas in the interim period. See... https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=194385&highlight=vapor+lock
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The guidance is correct but, winter blend auto fuel has higher vapor pressure (at any given temperature) than summer blend auto fuel and is therefore prone to vaporizing more easily resulting vapor lock.
 
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Putting on Mod hat;

Careful…….getting very close to speculation on accident causes prior to final reports. Those posts will be deleted per VAF rules.
 
There was a red RV 4 retractable that lived in the hangar across from me in Idaho. It was a nice plane. I didnt know there was another one. Looking at the registration, this isnt that plane.

Sorry for the families and wish them a speedy recovery.
 
fl-mike said:
I was waiting for that one to show up. Saw a photo of it balled up, up in the tree.
It is the retractable RV-4. And it is no more.
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There is one in Langley BC too. Bryan. Fantastic design and implementation.
 
fl-mike said:
I was waiting for that one to show up. Saw a photo of it balled up, up in the tree.
It is the retractable RV-4. And it is no more.
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That wing leading edge absorbed a lot of energy.
 

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fl-mike said:
That wing leading edge absorbed a lot of energy.
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That's the way to do it. Any piece of metal that you can bend will absorb energy - bend it all if you can. Everything except the spinner. The spinner is on your center of mass, anything that hits it, hurts you. The spinner is sacrosanct, protect it at all costs. Everything else belongs to the insurance company, the spinner is yours.

Walk (limp) away from the wreck, retrieve the spinner, mount it on a plaque in your living room, and tell stories about it.
 
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To get away from the subject, is there more information on how the retractable was accomplished? Was it a major redesign? Retract into wing or fuselage?
 
fl-mike said:
I was waiting for that one to show up. Saw a photo of it balled up, up in the tree.
It is the retractable RV-4. And it is no more.
Click to expand...

Aww, man, that is too bad. I remember admiring it at Oshkosh. :( Glad they weren't killed.
 
Slowing down forward motion....

airguy said:
That's the way to do it. Any piece of metal that you can bend will absorb energy - bend it all if you can. Everything except the spinner. The spinner is on your center of mass, anything that hits it, hurts you. The spinner is sacrosanct, protect it at all costs. Everything else belongs to the insurance company, the spinner is yours. Walk (limp) away from the wreck, retrieve the spinner, mount it on a plaque in your living room, and tell stories about it.
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Great advice! My instructor once (or more than once) said that tearing the wings off of a Cub when it is "necessary" is a pretty good way to slow the airplane down. Go between the trees. Keep the nose of the airplane pointed towards where you would like to end up: slowed down and, hopefully, intact!
 
Roadjunkie1 said:
Great advice! My instructor once (or more than once) said that tearing the wings off of a Cub when it is "necessary" is a pretty good way to slow the airplane down. Go between the trees. Keep the nose of the airplane pointed towards where you would like to end up: slowed down and, hopefully, intact!
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True, but the Cub has its fuel tank in the fuselage, RVs have them in the wings. And the slot in the forward tank to fuselage attachment is so that if the wings are torn off, the fuel tanks have less chance of being compromised -- IIRC.
 
Where's the fuel........?

Ed_Wischmeyer said:
True, but the Cub has its fuel tank in the fuselage, RVs have them in the wings. And the slot in the forward tank to fuselage attachment is so that if the wings are torn off, the fuel tanks have less chance of being compromised -- IIRC.
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A J-3 will typically have the 12 gallon nose tank as will some of the earlier Cub types (J-2). From the PA-11 on will have wing tanks that are NOT part of the wing structure itself, like the RVs; they are independent tanks secured in the wing structure. My 'Super J-3' has wing tanks and the nose tank is in storage. ;) I was just looking at my wing attach points on SuzieQ as part of my long, ongoing Condition inspection and revamping modifications (new hoses etc). The slotted attachment fitting was not part of the original plans...:eek: but is a very good idea to maintain the integrity of the tanks should one decided they need to slow their airplane down by "rapid unscheduled disassembly".....
 
Another accident added to the first post, a Honda powered RV-6A. That makes 6 so far this month alone.

- RV-6A, 4/25/2023, New Hope, OH. The airplane reportedly lost engine power and made a forced landing in a field and flipped upside down. No fatalities, 1 with minor injuries.

 
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I sure hope it wasn’t the one that just sold, offered up here, in our community/VAF. Regardless, sorry to hear this.
 
RV8JD said:
Unfortunately, it was:

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Bummer. Honda Automotive Engine? No one seriously hurt Thank God.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/311352

RV8JD said:
After a couple of accident-free months for RVs in the USA, there have been 5 accidents in the first half of the months.

- RV-14A, 4/13/2023, Fallston, MD No fatalities, pilot in critical condition.

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Here is a good video of Fallston, MD, N412RS. https://youtu.be/Vzaijk1g_Yo?t=49

Wishing pilot speedy and full recovery
 
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