November 2, 2007, Greenville, Pa., Vans Aircraft RV-10

At 0830 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Greenville, Penn. The private pilot was fatally injured; visual conditions prevailed. According to a family member, the pilot intended to practice touch-and-go landings and to make sure everything was functioning properly prior to a planned afternoon trip in the airplane with his family. The Experimental airplane was equipped with a non-certificated liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, turbocharged, six-cylinder engine.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

An experimental airplane crashed near Greenville, Penn., resulting in the pilot's fatal injury and substantial damage to the aircraft.
The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings and checking the aircraft for a planned family trip when witnesses observed the engine "revving up and down" and the plane losing altitude.
The aircraft, equipped with a non-certificated six-cylinder engine, impacted a cornfield nose-down, erupted in a fireball, and came to rest inverted.

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At approximately 0825, witnesses observed the airplane flying approximately 500 feet agl, with the engine “revving up and down,” and losing altitude. When it reached approximately 50 feet agl, the airplane rolled wings level and impacted a cornfield in a 35-to-60-degree nose-down attitude. A fireball erupted, and the airplane slid approximately 100 feet before nosing over and coming to a rest inverted.