What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 18, 2002, about 0950 mountain standard time, a violet Dragonfly, N48RV, departed from controlled flight and impacted terrain on approach to the Tucson International Airport, Tucson, Arizona. The homebuilt experimental airplane was destroyed. The private pilot/airplane owner received minor injuries, and the pilot-rated passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operating in visual meteorological conditions under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The personal flight originated from near el paso, Texas, about 2.8 hours earlier, approximately 0800 mountain daylight time. The pilot reported to the national transportation safety board investigator that while he was proceeding on the downwind leg to runway 11R, he had observed a Mcdonnell Douglas MD80 airplane on final approach to runway 11L. The pilot indicated that he extended his downwind leg to provide for additional separation between his airplane and the MD80. The MD80 proceeded to land on runway 11L. According to the pilot, he proceeded inbound to runway 11R and descended to about 50 feet above the ground. At that altitude, his airplane suddenly rolled into a near vertical left bank. Thereafter, control was lost, the pitch attitude decreased, and the airplane impacted the ground. No mechanical malfunctions were experienced with the airplane's flight control system during the flight. The pilot also stated that he believes he encountered wake turbulence from the MD. Tucson International Airport operations personnel reported that the impact site was about 340 feet short of the runway. Quality assurance personnel from the federal aviation administration reported that the accident airplane had been cautioned about the possibility of encountering wake turbulence from the MD80. At 0955, the local surface wind was reported at 030 degrees and 7 knots. (-23) aircraft was turning ot enter final approach for runway 11R at Tucson International Airport when it entered the vortex generated by an MD-80 aircraft that had just landed on the parallel runway. This vortex caused the aircraft to rapidly descend in a left turning manner causing it to impact the ground just left of runway 11R. ATC did advise the aircraft of the possibility of turbulence from the MD-80.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 18, 2002, ABOUT 0950 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A VIOLET DRAGONFLY, N48RV, DEPARTED FROM CONTROLLED FLIGHT AND IMPACTED TERRAIN ON APPROACH TO THE TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TUCSON, ARIZONA. THE HOMEBUILT EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE PRIVATE PILOT/AIRPLANE OWNER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM NEAR EL PASO, TEXAS, ABOUT 2.8 HOURS EARLIER, APPROXIMATELY 0800 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT WHILE HE WAS PROCEEDING ON THE DOWNWIND LEG TO RUNWAY 11R, HE HAD OBSERVED A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD80 AIRPLANE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 11L. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE EXTENDED HIS DOWNWIND LEG TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL SEPARATION BETWEEN HIS AIRPLANE AND THE MD80. THE MD80 PROCEEDED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 11L. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE PROCEEDED INBOUND TO RUNWAY 11R AND DESCENDED TO ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. AT THAT ALTITUDE, HIS AIRPLANE SUDDENLY ROLLED INTO A NEAR VERTICAL LEFT BANK. THEREAFTER, CONTROL WAS LOST, THE PITCH ATTITUDE DECREASED, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE EXPERIENCED WITH THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM DURING THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT HE BELIEVES HE ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE MD. TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OPERATIONS PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE IMPACT SITE WAS ABOUT 340 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. QUALITY ASSURANCE PERSONNEL FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE HAD BEEN CAUTIONED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ENCOUNTERING WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE MD80. AT 0955, THE LOCAL SURFACE WIND WAS REPORTED AT 030 DEGREES AND 7 KNOTS. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS TURNING OT ENTER FINAL APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 11R AT TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHEN IT ENTERED THE VORTEX GENERATED BY AN MD-80 AIRCRAFT THAT HAD JUST LANDED ON THE PARALLEL RUNWAY. THIS VORTEX CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO RAPIDLY DESCEND IN A LEFT TURNING MANNER CAUSING IT TO IMPACT THE GROUND JUST LEFT OF RUNWAY 11R. ATC DID ADVISE THE AIRCRAFT OF THE POSSIBILITY OF TURBULENCE FROM THE MD-80.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N48RV · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.