Van's RV-9A N7872

Summary

On 23 February 2014 at about 01:06 local time, a Van's RV-9A registered N7872 was involved in an accident near Tribune, Kansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 February 2014 at 01:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Tribune, Kansas, United States

Coordinates

38.4710, -101.7505

Aircraft

Van's RV-9A

Registration

N7872

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tribune → Tribune

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA148

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control while conducting high-g turns, which resulted in impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper decision to initiate the flight with a severe progressive neurological disorder that likely impaired his ability to safely operate the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to data recorded by the experimental, amateur-built airplane's multifunction displays, about 10 minutes after the airplane took off for the personal flight, it entered two sequential 360-degree left turns with gravitational accelerations (g) of 2.10 g and 2.80 g, respectively. The airplane then entered its final left turn with an acceleration of 3.20 g, passed through about 180 degrees, and subsequently descended into terrain. Examination of the airplane wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the private pilot's primary care physician and neurologist records revealed that the pilot had a 10-month history of a rapidly progressive neurological disorder that affected his muscle movements. Three months before the accident, the primary care physician advised the pilot not to drive or fly due to his impaired response time. Four days before the accident, the neurologist noted that the pilot had asymmetric moderate rigidity in his arms and severely slowed movements generally. The postmortem neuropathology analysis identified widespread degenerative disease in multiple areas of the brain. It is likely that the pilot's neurologic disorder impaired his ability to safely operate the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.