Van's VANS RV-8 N138PM

Summary

On 24 July 2020 at about 18:59 local time, a Van's VANS RV-8 registered N138PM was involved in an accident near Tehachapi, California, 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

24 July 2020 at 18:59

Classification

Accident

Location

Tehachapi, California, United States

Nearest airport

Tehachapi Municipal Airport (TSP)

Coordinates

35.1361, -118.4464

Aircraft

Van's VANS RV-8

Registration

N138PM

Category

Airplane

Year built

2018

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Angeles → Tehachapi

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR20LA237

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at too low of an altitude to recover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported that the accident airplane made a straight-in approach to land. The airplane touched down onto the runway tailwheel first and oscillated between its tailwheel and main landing gear several times. It then tipped up onto the left main gear and turned toward the right edge of the runway surface. The pilot initiated an aborted landing and according to a witness, the airplane lifted off quickly but made a "perceivably slow" turn to a left crosswind. The nose of the airplane was "alarmingly" high, and the airplane did not appear to be accelerating. The left turn steepened as the airplane descended behind buildings in a nose-up attitude with the wings wobbling. The engine "cut out" and, almost immediately thereafter. they heard the impact. The airframe and engine examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Recorded data from the airplane was consistent with what the witnesses reported. The engine power never exceeded 67%, which is likely why the airplane did not appear to accelerate during the takeoff; however, this would not have resulted in the loss of control. Given the reported nose-high attitude and steep left turn, it is likely the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack and that it stalled at an altitude too low for the pilot to recover before it impacted the building.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.