Van's Aircraft Issues RV-12 Service Bulletin Following Fatal Crash

A National Transportation Safety Board preliminary investigation into the accident found the control stick had been assembled improperly.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, June 27, 2024 at 04:49 PM ET

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Edited By:

Kimberly Johnson

Van's Aircraft RV-12 [Credit: Jim Koepnick / EAA]

Key Takeaways:

Van's Aircraft issued Service Bulletin 000102 for RV-12 and RV-12iS models, requiring owners to inspect the control stick assembly before their next flight.
This bulletin was prompted by a fatal RV-12 crash on June 6th where the pilot reported a loss of control authority.
Preliminary NTSB findings indicate the crash was caused by the left control stick pushrod disconnecting in flight due to improperly installed (upside-down) eye bolts in the control system.

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Owners and operators of Van’s Aircraft RV-12 or RV-12iS models are instructed to inspect the control stick assembly to verify proper installation before their next flight, the kitplane designer and builder announced.

Van’s said it issued a service bulletin requiring the action Monday “out of an abundance of caution” following a fatal RV-12 crash earlier this month after it appeared that the control stick on the pilot’s side disconnected while in flight due to improper assembly.