Van's RV8 N553KM

Summary

On 12 June 2020 at about 23:50 local time, a Van's RV8 registered N553KM, operated by Rieder Kenneth J, was involved in an accident near Hampton, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 June 2020 at 23:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Hampton, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Henry County Airport (HMP)

Coordinates

33.3900, -84.3311

Aircraft

Van's RV8

Registration

N553KM

Category

Airplane

Year built

2004

Operator

Rieder Kenneth J

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hampton → Hampton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20LA213

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s excessive maneuvering at low altitude following a partial loss of engine power which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the airplane’s initial climb after takeoff, witnesses reported hearing the engine misfire and seeing black smoke trailing the airplane. The pilot performed a 180° turn and approached the departure runway in the opposite direction and overflew the airport environment. The airplane subsequently entered a 180° turn for landing on the departure runway and impacted terrain in a flat attitude at the approach end of the runway. The landing gear and cockpit canopy separated, and the wings and the fuselage were substantially damaged. Video of the accident captured the airplane in steep pitch and roll attitudes at low altitude. A detailed postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the fuel nozzle on the No. 2 cylinder was blocked and the spark plugs (top and bottom) revealed signatures consistent with "rich" mixtures in the Nos. 1 and 4 cylinders and "lean" mixtures in the Nos. 2 and 3 cylinders. The blocked fuel nozzle likely resulted in the partial loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.