N284RMVans Aircraft RV-8

On May 24, 2021, about 1330 central daylight time, an amateur built Rans RV-8, N284RM, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Van Cleve, Kentucky. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The flight originated from Haller Airpark (7FL4), Green Cove Springs, Florida, on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight and made a fuel stop at Pickens County Airport (LQK), Pickens, South Carolina. According to air traffic control (ATC) data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane departed LQK, then made a climbing left turn followed by a series of turns while gradually ascending to about 9,000 ft. The flight continued under VFR until ATC assigned a transponder code for flight following. The airplane maintained this code for the remainder of the flight while flying northbound.

Upon reaching the vicinity of Van Cleve, the pilot declared an emergency, reporting a loss of oil pressure and loss of engine power. ATC informed the pilot about an airport located to the airplane’s "2 o'clock and 3 miles." The pilot stated that he did not have the airport in sight and chose to perform a forced landing in a field instead. The airplane entered a 270° turn while descending, with the ground speed decreasing, until flight track data was no longer available.

The wreckage came to rest on a heading of 353°, and all structural components of the airplane were located at the accident site. The accident site contained all flight control surfaces, and flight control continuity was observed from the surfaces to the fire-damaged area within the cockpit. The fuselage from the firewall to approximately two feet from the empennage was destroyed by the post-impact fire. The engine also displayed significant fire damage. The flight instruments and flight controls within the cockpit were also destroyed by the fire. Additionally, the main landing gear were sheared off from the fuselage.

Both propeller blades were broken from the hub and found in the impact crater, along with the spinner and pieces of the nose cone. The propeller governor was separated from the engine and partially consumed in the post-impact fire.

The wings were destroyed by fire, although remnants of the wing root structure remained attached to the fuselage. Some parts of the flight control surfaces were observed still connected to the wing structures.

Examination of the empennage revealed fire damage, with both the horizontal and vertical stabilizers being attached to the empennage but showing signs of impact and fire damage. Burnt oil streaks were discovered on the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. Notably, fresh oil was observed on broken pieces of the windscreen at the wreckage site.

The engine crankcase and cylinders were intact and the engine's accessory section was fire damaged. The rear-mounted accessories, rocker covers, and upper spark plugs were removed. The crankshaft was rotated about 2 degrees by turning the propeller hub. After the accessory case was removed the crankshaft could be rotated through 360 degrees of rotation by turning the propeller hub. Continuity of the crankshaft to the rear gears and to the valve train was confirmed. Compression and suction were observed from all four cylinders. The interiors of the cylinders were observed through a lighted borescope and no anomalies were observed.

Components in the accessory section, as well as the oil and fuel lines, also showed signs of fire damage. One of the oil lines connecting the engine to an aftermarket oil valve was broken at the attachment fitting, but due to the fire damage, it could not be determined if the failure occurred before or after ground impact. The oil valve itself was also fire damaged. The engine’s oil sump was partially consumed by the post-impact fire.

A review of a maintenance logbook excerpt revealed that the oil valve had been “resealed” on March 25, 2021.The oil valve (Christen 802) was part of an accessory kit for Lycoming engines that provided normal engine lubrication with minimal oil loss during aerobatic flight. It functioned as a self-contained extension of the normal engine oil and breather systems.

According to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, and the manner of death was accident.

Toxicology testing performed by the FAA’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified 0.010 gm/dl of ethanol in cavity blood but none in brain or muscle.