Owner destroys RV-8 to avoid liability

[xblueh2o]

Local pilot had an experimental he used for hard aerobatics. When he decided to upgrade his attorney advised the same thing. Don't even part it out. I never did ask what happened to the old one now that he has he new one.

[ron sterba]

So SAD IS RIGHT!!! Just down the street is the court house where this will play out. Makes me sick to see this building several days a week.,,,,,,The brighter note of this aircraft could have been sold as a DISPLAY for a lobby of a airport terminal or......Your thought here............,museum.........Tech School. Then write if off as a donation.

I believe EAA should have this liability clause Changed. where as liability ENDS at Sale. I would donate to EAA FUND for reform.

Ron in Oregon

[spark68]

What kind of primer did he use???

[Chkaharyer99]

If you owned your experimental under a company like an LLC, would that limit the liability to the company and not the individual who built, maintains or owns the aircraft?

[bkthomps]

No, the manufacturer of the plane is what places the builder at risk

[Mike S]

Remember the Piper Cub accident trirty some years back???

http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/A...l-%2811%29

"This is the case that arose out of a 1983 accident that occurred at a residential airpark in New Mexico. A Piper Super Cub, attempting a takeoff, struck a GMC van intentionally parked on the runway to prevent the takeoff. The Cub was towing a sailplane at the time. The purpose of the flight was to photograph the sailplane for a television commercial. The pilot had the front seat removed and installed in its place a large movie camera on a camera mount. It was mounted in such a way that the cameraman had to sit on two-by-fours, facing rearward toward the camera, with his back against the instrument panel. The pilot sat in the rear seat."

If the manufacturer could be found responsible in that---------------anything can happen.

[rhill]

I bet it was a Dam Good Airplane Too!, 700TT Wow, painful to watch! Must be a real high net worth builder as this is overkill.If you pull all the control surfaces off the plane or the tail rotor off a helicopter wouldn't this shift the responsibility to the next builder/shop that restores the ship to flight worthy status?

[pierre smith]

The retired owner/builder had the same concerns, so he de-registered it and removed the N number, stripped the airframe of all avionics, engine, prop and interior.

He then advertised it as "airplane parts" and it sold and is now flying in Georgia....seems a much better alternative that accomplishes the same thing. It was a bargain at $6,000 IIRC, maybe $7,000 for a complete airframe.

Best,

[g zero]

I could easily see that done if it was a ..........Nose Wheel .

[MeAndMyToys]

Just bought my engine and prop from a guy that was parting out a BD-4 to avoid the liability of selling it.