RV-8 and Cirrus SR22 Midair Collision, Hollister, CA, 7/19/2025

[RV8JD]

An RV-8 shortly after takeoff and a Cirrus SR22 landing, collided at Hollister Municipal Airport (KCVH). The Cirrus pilot suffered serious injuries and the RV-8 pilot may not have suffered any injuries.

From ASN:

"A Van's RV-8, N926DT, and a Cirrus SR22 G6, N551SG, were involved in a mid-air collision over runway 31 at Hollister Municipal Airport (HLI/KCVH), Hollister, California. The pilot of the Cirrus sustained serious injuries. ​

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Preliminary information indicates the Cirrus was on a straight on approach to runway 31 and the Van's was departing the same runway. Video evidence show the Van's strike the left horizontal stabilizer of the Cirrus, causing it to pitch down and impact the runway. The Van's remained under control and landed on the remaining runway. ​

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According to one of the airport notes, it is recommended for pilots to begin the runway 31 takeoff roll at or beyond the threshold (past taxiway b)."​

Mid-air collision Accident Van's RV-8 N926DT, Saturday 19 July 2025

A Van's RV-8, N926DT, and a Cirrus SR22 G6, N551SG, were involved in a mid-air collision over runway 31 at Hollister Municipal Airport (HLI/KCVH), Hollister, California. The pilot of the ...

asn.flightsafety.org

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Accident Cirrus SR22 G6 N551SG, Saturday 19 July 2025

A Van's RV-8, N926DT, and a Cirrus SR22 G6, N551SG, were involved in a mid-air collision over runway 31 at Hollister Municipal Airport (HLI/KCVH), Hollister, California. The pilot of the ...

asn.flightsafety.org

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Video of the accident begins at 5:12 in this video:​

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[BobTurner]

Sigh…It’s 2025. When is the faa going to make radio use mandatory at uncontrolled airports? I personally have seen far too many close calls.

 

[Walt]

Sigh…It’s 2025. When is the faa going to make radio use mandatory at uncontrolled airports? I personally have seen far too many close calls.

[ed. Removed speculation. v/r,dr]

 

[mburch]

The Cirrus pilot has posted this comment elsewhere:

The Cirrus pilot here. First off, I’m just thankful to be alive and well, besides a badly fractured leg, I pretty much walked away from this. [...] I am an extremely careful and diligent pilot, I just have no words for this one. I was shooting this approach making the appropriate radio calls with all of the other aircrafts on frequency acknowledging me. I did not see this guy at all, not sure where he began his takeoff roll, but I’m well aware that shooting an instrument approach does not alleviate me from ensuring that the runway environment is clear, again, I did not see him. I’ve provided all of the relevant information to the FAA and will let them take it from here. Extremely lucky indeed, appreciate the thoughts and well wishes.

 

[DeltaRomeo]

Just FYI, when the speculation raises my eyebrows I lock the thread. Will add to the Probable Cause Document in the VAF List when the probable cause document is published.
Facts only please, and thank you.

 

[jliltd]

Sigh…It’s 2025. When is the faa going to make radio use mandatory at uncontrolled airports? I personally have seen far too many close calls.

Both aircraft had com radios. So a mandated radio use regulation wouldn't add much utility if one pilot is tuned into the wrong frequency for transmit and receive. I doubt there is a single pilot among us who hasn't tuned the wrong frequency some time in our flying time. So a mandated use of VHF transceiver regulation is probably not germane in preventing this specific accident.

 

[SwimmingDragon518]

Maybe a sign at the runway threshold that has the local CTAF frequency on it with a reminder to use it.

 

[larryMar]

Maybe keep your head & eyes out of the cockpit .....

 

[RVDan]

I share this only as an example how things can go wrong. At an uncontrolled airport in a no wind condition, as I was taxiing out, I noticed another airplane taxiing towards the other end of the runway. A slight hump in the taxiway and runway caused me to loose sight of this airplane. It was possible he was taxiing to another area of the ramp.
After runup, and a radio call, I was entering the runway for takeoff, I just spotted the tip of the other airplanes vertical-stab, as he was in his takeoff roll. I heard the other airplane announcing. I made several announcements confirming
I was on the opposite runway, but no response. I turned around and taxied off of the runway and the other airplane took off. Sitting in the run-up area cursing the other guy, I realized that my audio panel x-mit was selected to the other radio, not the one I was listening to or thought i was transmitting on. My mistake. He was using his radio and I was using my radio, but just the wrong one.
This wasn’t even a close call because of my situational awareness, but it could have been quite bad.
Mandating radio use won’t solve all possible problems, as mistakes can be made.

 

[dmattmul]

To help with reenforcing me to turn on landing and taxi with wig-wag before I land even during the day (in case missed on a landing checklist) I set up a discrete input on an empty input that gives me a CAS alarm warning in red using Garmin's Advanced Gauge Configuration at 1,200 ft agl. You can name the CAS message anything you want using the Alert Label. Pilots at the airport tell me my lights are very easy to spot even during the day. I'm not sure you can do the same using a GP input.

 

[lr172]

Sigh…It’s 2025. When is the faa going to make radio use mandatory at uncontrolled airports? I personally have seen far too many close calls.

Just about to say that. A true poster child event for making radio calls mandatory, when a radio exists. I just cannot understand why the FAA doesn't move on that.

 

[lr172]

Both aircraft had com radios. So a mandated radio use regulation wouldn't add much utility if one pilot is tuned into the wrong frequency for transmit and receive. I doubt there is a single pilot among us who hasn't tuned the wrong frequency some time in our flying time. So a mandated use of VHF transceiver regulation is probably not germane in preventing this specific accident.

I disagree. If this were a regulatory requirement, I believe there would be far more diligence in tuning the right frequency. I feel there is a lot of complacency because there is no consequence for getting it wrong. How many people take off from a towered airport without a clearance? Not many because we all know that would end our flying for some period of time. Just imagine if stopping at a stop sign was only recommended and not required?

 

[Snowflake]

Just about to say that. A true poster child event for making radio calls mandatory, when a radio exists. I just cannot understand why the FAA doesn't move on that.

FWIW, in Canada, radio calls are mandatory at uncontrolled fields... If you have a radio, you must use it.

 

[Snowflake]

I disagree. If this were a regulatory requirement, I believe there would be far more diligence in tuning the right frequency. I feel there is a lot of complacency because there is no consequence for getting it wrong.

Except this entire post is about one consequence of getting it wrong... a mid-air collision.

 

[Ironflight]

Guys, if you want to continue debating radio calls generically, it probably needs to be its own thread - but it’s also not RV specific, so other forums are available. But this is all goign to go under the category of speculating on the cause of this accident…..