Undetermined · NTSB ERA09LA106
Reamer RV7A — Wadesboro, NC
| Date | December 25, 2008 |
| Location | Wadesboro, NC |
| Aircraft | Reamer RV7A (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Enroute-cruise Miscellaneous/other |
| Pilot age | 57 |
| Pilot total time | 1,600 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | 630 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1, 1 serious |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
What happened
The airplane was in cruise flight at 8,000 feet when the engine began to run rough and the pilot noticed elevated cylinder head and oil temperatures. The pilot subsequently elected to divert to a nearby airport for a precautionary landing. The passenger, who was the pilot's wife, recalled that as the airplane approached the airport it was high and that the pilot performed "S-turns" to descend for landing. Her last memory prior to the accident was of the airplane in a steep left turn, close to the ground. The airplane impacted the ground about 1/4-mile from the approach end of the runway. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact failures; the airplane's current logbooks were not recovered. The most recent reported inspection was an annual inspection, which was performed about 19 months and 200 hours prior to the accident. Both the airframe and engine had accumulated approximately 630 total hours.