Van's RV 4 N425JW

Summary

On 31 October 2019 at about 21:30 local time, a Van's RV 4 registered N425JW was involved in an accident near Middleburg, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 October 2019 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Middleburg, Florida, United States

Coordinates

30.0125, -81.7800

Aircraft

Van's RV 4

Registration

N425JW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1993

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Green Cove Springs → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20FA025

1 person died.

Impact with power lines for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to a family member, the pilot intended to conduct a brief local flight. A witness at the departure airport reported that he heard an airplane take off. He did not identify the airplane; however, about 10 minutes later the airport experienced a complete electrical power outage. The airplane was located in a clearing in a heavily wooded area. The wreckage and accident site were consistent with the airplane impacting powerlines before impacting terrain. Most of the airplane was destroyed by postcrash fire. The engine was examined, and no anomalies were noted. The pilot had recent diagnoses of several cardiovascular conditions that would increase his risk for an acute cardiovascular event, including severe mitral valve regurgitation, ventricular enlargement, and heart failure; however, there were no autopsy findings or radio communication to determine if the pilot experienced a cardiac event. Post-mortem toxicology detected the impairing medication gabapentin in liver tissue and urine, but it could not be determined if the concentration was at therapeutic or impairing levels; therefore, whether the pilot’s medical conditions or his use of medication contributed to the accident could not be determined. Given the lack of available evidence, the reason for the airplane’s impact with power lines could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.