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RV-7A down

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Very strange information from the ADS-B:

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N1218B

Flightaware N1218B 20220501.png
 
Something happened after the autopilot was turned off at the red mark on the upper ground track.
 

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The red mark is just before the track changes over Huntsville Airport.

The track, altitude and speed vary significantly more towards the end of the flight.

But we may observe only and must not speculate, per VAF rules, until there is a final investigation report...
 
Hope this fellow is doing well.

Looks like some drastic altitude, attitude, speed changes hidden in 17 seconds.
 
RV-7A, but licensed as "Type Aircraft - Powered Parachute" instead of "Fixed Wing Single-Engine".
 
RV-7A, but licensed as "Type Aircraft - Powered Parachute" instead of "Fixed Wing Single-Engine".

We have another local aircraft that is a Bearhawk Patrol but the database shows it as a Sonex Waiex motorglider. I know for a fact that it has proper registration, looks like the FAA database has some errors.

Initial news reports used the faulty info before the type of aircraft was fully known.
 
Prelim Report

Location: Huntsville, AL Accident Number: ERA22LA213
Date & Time: May 1, 2022, 17:05 Local Registration: N1218B
Aircraft: Vans RV7 Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal



On May 1, 2022, about 1705 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Van's Aircraft RV-7A, N1218B, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Huntsville, Alabama. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

Review of preliminary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight track data revealed that the airplane was first detected at 1328 shortly after departing McKinney National Airport (TKI), Dallas, Texas. The airplane climbed to an altitude of about 10,500 ft mean sea level and continued on an easterly course for about 2 hours and 48 minutes before the altitude, heading, and groundspeed began large deviations. The airplane circled right and left east of Huntsville for about 30 minutes before flying a low approach over runway 9 at Moontown Airport (3M5), Huntsville, Alabama. The airplane then made a left 180° turn and flew west about 8 miles before it turned back and descended again toward 3M5. The airplane impacted terrain about 200 yards short of runway 9.

Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the wings, empennage, and fuselage. The airplane was retained for further examination.
 
Two years from now....:eek:

Or...in the interim maybe we'll get cogent opinions from Dan Gryder, Juan Brown, or Scott Perdue.

When the report does come out in a year or two it’s likely to be based entirely on phone contacts and very inaccurate.
 
Speculation

As others have alluded to, I know we’re not allowed to “speculate” on this forum. With that said, I’m not a big fan of turning off my brain and waiting for a government entity to tell me what to think. Hopefully we’ll get some good info from the above listed individuals reasonably soon instead of waiting for the years long government report to tell us it was pilot error. Or better yet, it would be wonderful if the pilot heals and can share the story firsthand.

I certainly hope the pilot recovers and is not in too much pain.
 
Folks,
Here’s Doug’s problem. Online speculation by anybody, no matter what level of expertise and no matter what evidence set they have (or don’t have) to analyze, becomes possible investigative and testimonial evidence for civil lawyers representing ANY party to the crash. In the eyes of lawyers, online speculators give the appearance of experts, even if only offering opinions. Their opinions become low-hanging fruit for lawyers looking for ANY angle for their case. And yes, they can be subpoenaed.

None of that serves the efforts by bonafide appointed investigators to determine the ACTUAL causes of the accident. It does create undue vulnerabilities for the manufacturers, FBOs, other pilots, families, etc.

DR (and I) dearly want to know the final investigative results. He does NOT want this forum to entertain possibly detrimental speculation in the absence of valid evidence-fed investigation. It is hazardous.

I know many of you disagree. Still, please speculate somewhere else.

PS: As the former chief of USAF flight safety, the guy responsible for the USAF aviation mishap investigation program and process, I know a thing or two about this.
 
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