Van's

At approximately 0730 central time, an amateur-built RV-4 crashed while maneuvering in fog near Homer, killing the pilot and passenger. The non-instrument-rated pilot took off from Homer Municipal Airport in conditions of fog, low ceilings and half-mile visibility for a cross-country flight. He made a right downwind departure and struck 30-foot trees in a nearby marsh….

At 17:43 EST, a homebuilt RV-6 crashed in Beards Creek near Lee Airport in Annapolis, Md. The pilot was killed. The flight originated at the Lantana (Fla.) Airport at 09:30 with an intended destination of Annapolis. Investigators determined that the pilots flight plan included fuel stops in Brunswick, Ga., and Elizabethtown, N.C. In fact, the pilot purchased 21.7 gallons of fuel in Brunswick but there were no records of an additional fuel stop. Witnesses near the crash site reported hearing a low-flying plane whose engine was sputtering. Searchers found the airplane at about 03:00 the following morning. There was no external evidence of any catastrophic engine failure….

At about 12:30 EDT, a homebuilt RV-6 crashed while landing at a private unlisted grass strip in Bradford. The pilot, who did not hold a pilot certificate, was not injured. The pilot said that just prior to landing, a gust of wind forced the airplanes nose gear down into the turf runway and the airplane flipped inverted. He reported 75 hours of total flight experience, with seven hours in the make and model of the accident airplane. The pilots last medical certificate was issued in 1977….

At approximately 16:00 PDT, a homebuilt RV-4 lost power on departure from North Bend and was damaged in the ensuing forced landing near Coos Bay. The pilot, who built the aircraft, was seriously injured. The pilot said there were 6 gallons of fuel in the left tank and 16 gallons in the right tank at the time of departure. He said the engine lost power about 1,000 feet agl while running on the left tank. The inspector said he could neither see nor smell any fuel in the aircrafts left tank, but that the right tank, which was breached, did contain fuel. North Bend reported a temperature of 17 C and a dewpoint of 9 C, which are conditions conducive to moderate to serious carb icing….

At approximately 15:20 PDT, an experimental Vans RV-8 built by the pilot suffered an in-flight fire and crashed after an uncontrolled descent 1 mile north of Lafayette. The pilot was killed. Witnesses saw the plane in a shallow descent approximately 200-300 feet above the ground trailing black smoke. The pilot jumped out and was found several hundred yards from the wreckage. Examination of the wreckage confirmed a pre-impact fire in the lower-left aft area of the engine compartment. Additionally, disassembly of the engine revealed extensive particulate material within the engines sump, oil finger screen and oil filter. The number one piston was absent, as was much of the number two connecti…

At about 11:05 MDT, a homebuilt RV-4 crashed while maneuvering about six miles northeast of Bayfield. The pilot and passenger were killed. A friend in another RV-4 said the two pilots had planned to go to Durango and back as a flight of two airplanes. He took off first, and the accident airplane departed shortly thereafter. During the return, he radioed the accident airplane but got no response. He circled back and found the wreckage of the second airplane. Several witnesses said the two airplanes were flying at low altitude, with the accident airplane lower. One witness said he saw the accident airplane perform a barrel roll, immediately followed by a vertical loop. A witness on the propert…

At 15:35 PDT, a Vans RV-6A dragged the left wing tip while turning from base to final for runway 20 at Sacramento Executive Airport. The two occupants were not injured. The pilot told investigators he had been cleared for a short approach in front of another airplane that was on a straight-in approach. He stated that as he turned from base to final over the runway, the left wing tip struck the pavement. The airplane then struck the runway, shearing off the nose gear and collapsing the main gear….

At 15:30 CDT, a Vans RV-6T operated by the manufacturer and being piloted by a company executive struck trees while maneuvering near Pettigrew. Both occupants were killed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed but a flight plan was not filed. The flight was en route from Aurora, Mo., to Shreveport, La. Witnesses said they heard an aircraft circling the area for about 10-15 minutes prior to hearing the tree impact and resulting crash. The witnesses reported the weather as foggy with visibility less than 400 feet….

At 15:10 central time, an experimental Vans RV-6 lost power and crashed while on approach to Hooks Memorial Airport. The pilot/builder suffered minor injuries. The pilot said the engine began to run rough as he turned base and quit entirely when he turned final. The airplane touched down between two rows of trailers at a trailer park and the right wing struck a tree. This was the airplanes initial flight….

At approximately 10:53 central time, a Vans RV-6 homebuilt airplane lost power on initial climb from a field and struck trees near Hammond, killing the pilot. Witnesses said the flight departed the airport, lost power and landed in a field about a quarter-mile from the runway. The pilot walked back to the airport and asked people there who owned the field he had just landed on. He said the airplane had a fuel problem. Subsequently he tried to take off from the field. The engine lost power and the airplane spun into the trees….