Vans RV-8 — White Plains, AL

What happened

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.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.