Van's RV-8 N249BW

Summary

On 20 October 2019 at about 16:30 local time, a Van's RV-8 registered N249BW was involved in an accident near White Plains, Alabama, 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

20 October 2019 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

White Plains, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

33.7497, -85.7233

Aircraft

Van's RV-8

Registration

N249BW

Category

Airplane

Year built

2010

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Muscle Shoals → Senoia

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20FA009

1 person died.

Impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a cross-country flight. The flight track data terminated over 50 miles before the accident site, but showed the airplane flying at an altitude about 1,050 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane impacted remote, mountainous terrain at an elevation about 1,700 ft msl and was destroyed. A review of weather information from a nearby airport indicated cloud ceilings about 1,600 ft msl, and an AIRMET for instrument flight rules conditions was valid for the area of the accident site at the time of the accident. Based on the loss of flight track data sources and the weather data, it is likely the pilot was flying at a lower altitude to avoid the low ceilings present on the route of flight. There was no record of the pilot obtaining preflight weather information from an access-controlled source. Examination revealed there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. An autopsy revealed an area of stenosis in one cerebral artery, which put the pilot at increased risk for a stroke; however, there was no evidence in the autopsy that he experienced a stroke. In addition, the area of fibrosis (scarring) on the pilot’s heart had the potential to cause an arrhythmia, which could cause sudden palpitations or fainting. There was no evidence in the pilot’s medical records of any such event occurring in the past, but the evidence available was insufficient to indicate whether pilot incapacitation due to a medical event may have contributed to the accident. The reason for the impact with terrain could not be determined based on the available evidence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.