Van's RV-12IS N725FA

Summary

On 2 July 2024 at about 20:30 local time, a Van's RV-12IS registered N725FA was involved in an accident near Scappoose, Oregon, 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

2 July 2024 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Scappoose, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Scappoose (SPB)

Coordinates

45.0000, -122.0000

Aircraft

Van's RV-12IS

Registration

N725FA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2023

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Camas → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR24LA228

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to remove the seat belt used as a flight control lock from the right control stick before takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control, an aerodynamic stall, and a collision with terrain during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the pilot to adequately check the flight controls before takeoff to ensure they were able to move without restraint.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed after a quick stop during a cross-country flight. Flight data from the avionics unit installed in the airplane revealed that on takeoff, the airplane lifted off the ground and reached a maximum altitude of about 81 ft above ground level (agl). After liftoff, the airplane pitched up to a maximum angle of about 43° nose up and continuously rolled left, ultimately reaching a maximum of 60° of bank. The airplane’s pitch decreased rapidly over the next several seconds to 33° nose down, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. The airplane’s stall warning system activated 3 seconds before liftoff and deactivated about 1 second before impact. The airplane was airborne for about a total of 14 seconds before impacting terrain. Witnesses at the airport reported that they observed the airplane in a hard left-banked turn, in a nose-down attitude, until it impacted terrain. A review of pictures taken after the accident revealed that the right seat belt was looped around the right control stick, and it was secured to the full left and aft position. Flight data, impact damage around the control stick, and witnesses’ statements were all consistent with the right seat’s control stick being locked in the full left and aft position during the takeoff. It is likely that the pilot secured the right control stick with the seat belt acting as a flight control lock during his stop at the airport and failed to check that it was removed before takeoff. According to the pilot’s operating handbook for the accident airplane, the Before Takeoff Run-Up checklist calls for the flight controls to be checked. The recorded flight data did not reveal evidence of an engine run-up before takeoff, indicating that the pilot did not complete this checklist, and so did not benefit from the methodical self-assessment that the checklist provides. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.