Villeneuve RV-3 N12JV

Summary

On 8 May 2004 at about 17:30 local time, a Villeneuve RV-3 registered N12JV was involved in an accident near Mayetta, Kansas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 May 2004 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Mayetta, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Private Airstrip (PVT)

Coordinates

39.3489, -95.6928

Aircraft

Villeneuve RV-3

Registration

N12JV

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Topeka → Mayetta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04CA115

Nobody was injured.

The pilot failed to maintain airspeed and aircraft control during final approach, which resulted in a stall/mush flight condition. A factor to the accident was the crosswind and the trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted trees while on final approach. The pilot reported that when he was on final approach, approximately 100-200 feet above ground level, the airplane "suddenly and abruptly rolled approximately 30 degrees right and then left while the nose maintained the same pitch attitude." The pilot stated he was able to level the wings, however, the "controls felt abnormally mushy." The pilot also reported that the "rate of descent also suddenly increased to a dangerous level." The pilot stated he added full engine power, but the aircraft kept descending. The pilot reported, "Given the mushy controls and rate of descent I was afraid to pull up too much and risk a stall. The aircraft was already at a nose high angle of attack... It already felt like it was on the edge of a stall. [The] aircraft continued to feel unstable with a dangerously high sink rate." The pilot reported the airplane was unable to "build up enough speed to break out of wind currents before contacting trees." The pilot reported that the winds were from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The pilot stated the wind conditions were at his "upper personal limitations" and that he had previously landed in similar conditions. Surface wind data was collected from nearby weather observation facilities. The collected wind data indicated the winds at the time of the accident were from the south-southwest, between 9 and 18 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.