N98AWPiper PA-12

On August 16, 2009, at 1411 central daylight time, a From Here To There PDQ, RV-8, N98AW, collided with the terrain while performing aerobatic maneuvers 3 miles west of Tea, South Dakota. The airline transport rated pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The local flight departed from the Skie-Lincoln County Airport (Y14), Tea, South Dakota, at approximately 1345.

One witness reported seeing the airplane as it started a climb. He reported the airplane kept climbing until it was “almost standing still then it cut left” and entered a 45 degree angle nose down spin. He reported that after the first or second spin he heard the engine “cut out then backfire about 3 times and then it sounded like it quit.” The witness stated the airplane kept spinning until it was near the ground, at which time it appeared to “straighten out.” He stated the airplane then disappeared behind a hill and a second later, he heard the impact.

Another witness reported he saw the airplane perform a maneuver similar to what was described by the first witness. He stated the airplane then entered a second similar maneuver, but as the airplane began to descend, the engine “stalled and made a big pop and then it made another pop and then it was silent….” He stated the airplane was doing a “twirling effect” until it impacted the terrain.

The pilot-in-command, age 28, held an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multi-engine land rating, and commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land. The certificate contained type rating for BE-300, CE-500 and CE-560XL airplanes. In addition, the pilot held a certified flight instructor certificate which included airplane single and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. This certificate was issued on June 22, 2009. The pilot was issued a first-class medical certificate on October 30, 2008. The medical certificate contained the limitation that the holder must wear corrective lenses.

An estimate of the pilot’s flight time was reconstructed from several logbooks and miscellaneous flight time records. The pilot’s total flight time was approximately 6,187 hours of which approximately 5,548 hours were as pilot in command.

The pilot was a member of the Vanguard Squadron aerobatic team. The pilot flew a single seat RV-3 as a member of the team. On a questioner dated June 12, 2009, the pilot reported having 375 hours of flight time in RV-3 airplanes. Members of the Vanguard Squadron used the accident airplane, a two seat RV-8, for training and demonstration flights. A flight time notebook for the accident airplane was found in the wreckage and it was partially illegible as a result of the accident. The notebook showed that the pilot had at least 30 hours of flight time in the accident airplane.

Both the pilot and passenger were wearing parachutes at the time of the accident.

The accident airplane was an amateur-built aerobatic RV-8, serial number 80270. The airplane was a two-place, tandem seating airplane which was intended to be flown from the front seat. The airplane was powered by a 200 horsepower, Lycoming AEIO-360-A1E engine, serial number L-22721-51A

The airplane was built by a previous owner and a Special Airworthiness Certificate on November 2, 2001. The Vanguard Squadron purchased the airplane in January 2006.

According to logbooks, the last condition inspection for the aircraft and engine was completed on March 24, 2009, at an aircraft total time of 709.9 hours. The last entry in the engine logbook was for an oil change which occurred on May 13, 2009, at a total time of 751.3 hours.

The airplane was being operated on 100 percent Ethanol. According to member of the Vanguard Squadron, their practice was to top the airplane with fuel at the end of every flight. The airplane held 44 gallons of fuel and it was equipped with an inverted oil system.

At 1356, the surface weather conditions at the Foss Airport (FSD), Sioux Falls, South Dakota, located approximately 10 miles north, northeast of the accident site were: Wind from 310 degrees at 12 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; few clouds at 3,700 feet; temperature 22 degrees Celsius; dew point 14 degrees Celsius; altimeter 29.94 inches of mercury.

The airplane came to rest in an upright attitude in a soybean field. There were no ground scars visible other than those where the airplane came to rest. The engine was embedded in the ground at an approximate 45 degree angle. The cockpit area was buckled downward just aft of the aft seat. The canopy was separated from the airplane and was found lying on the ground near the airplane. The empennage was intact. The leading edge of both the left and right wings were crushed rearward. The left aileron was intact; however, the inboard section of the aileron was detached from the wing as was the wing tip. The right wing control surfaces were intact.

The fuel selector was positioned on the left fuel tank. The pointer on the selector was broken off. The propeller control was forward. The throttle and mixture controls were found mid-range.

A post accident inspection of the airplane and engine failed to reveal any anomalies that would have resulted in the accident. Continuity was verified throughout the engine and compression was noted on all cylinders when the engine was rotated by hand. Both magnetos produced spark when rotated. Fuel was noted at the accident site.

The airplane was equipped with a Dynon Avionics EMS-D10 (engine monitoring system) and a Dynon EFIS-D100 (electronic flight information system). The EFIS did was not capable of recording/storing data. The EMS contained about 29 minutes of data for the flight. The data indicates that the engine rpm and manifold pressure fluctuated at different times throughout the flight. The engine rpm increased from a low of 518 rpm to 1,896 rpm, then back down to 1,554 rpm in the last 5 seconds of recorded data. During the same time, the manifold pressure increased from 16.3 inches up to 22.5 inches, then down to 7.3 inches at the last recorded data. The data is attached to this report.

An autopsy on the pilot was not performed.

A Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report was prepared for the pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration Civil Aeromedical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The results for all tests conducted were negative. Insufficient specimens were received for a full toxicological analysis.