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

Verified

Edited By:

Kimberly Johnson

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

Key Takeaways:

Van's Aircraft issued Service Bulletin 000102, requiring owners of RV-12 and RV-12iS models to inspect the control stick assembly before their next flight.
This action follows a fatal RV-12 crash on June 6th, during which the pilot reported a control failure.
Preliminary NTSB findings suggest the crash was caused by the pilot's side control stick pushrod disconnecting in flight due to improperly installed eye bolts.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.