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 has issued Service Bulletin 000102, instructing owners and operators of RV-12 and RV-12iS models to inspect their control stick assembly for proper installation before the next flight.
This mandatory inspection follows a recent fatal RV-12 crash where preliminary NTSB findings indicate the pilot's control stick disconnected in flight.
The NTSB's investigation revealed that the left control stick pushrod disconnected because the inboard eye bolts on the accident aircraft were installed upside down, allowing rotation and disconnection.

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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.