MOUL WILLIS RV-3 — Bermuda Dunes, CA

What happened

The pilot departed on a local flight in the experimental, amateur-built airplane. Flight track information indicated that the airplane departed and climbed to a maximum altitude of about 712 ft above ground level. One witness saw the airplane and described the engine noise as loud. As the airplane turned toward her location, she saw that the propeller blades were spinning slower than she thought they should. Another witness, who was closer to the accident site, saw the airplane at low altitude but could not hear the engine noise. A third witness captured video showing the airplane first in level flight, then its pitch attitude increased, and the airplane entered a right bank. The right bank continued past 90° as the airplane entered a nose-low descent.

The airplane impacted a palm tree about 35 ft agl about 3 minutes after takeoff and came to rest upright in the driveway of a private residence. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation; however, the fuel shutoff valve was found in an intermediate position that restricted fuel flow about 50%. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot’s improper positioning of the fuel shutoff valve resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power during the takeoff climb as evidenced by the absence of engine noise in the witness video. The pilot subsequently exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, resulting in an aerodynamic stall/spin and loss of control.

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