Corella Neil RV9A N94NF

Summary

On 30 June 2024 at about 14:13 local time, a Corella Neil RV9A registered N94NF was involved in an accident near Saluda, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 June 2024 at 14:13

Classification

Accident

Location

Saluda, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Saluda County (6J4)

Coordinates

33.9268, -81.7946

Aircraft

Corella Neil RV9A

Registration

N94NF

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Union → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA284

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain an appropriate glide path during the landing approach in variable wind conditions, which resulted in collision with trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was executing a forward slip to land. On short final approach to the runway, as the airplane descended below the tree line of a forest that was to his immediate right, he encountered a downdraft and crosswind. The airplane began to sink and yawed to the right. The pilot attempted to go around, but the landing gear struck the trees. The airplane continued to descend, and the right wing impacted a tree before the airplane came to rest upright in a nose down attitude at the base of two trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.