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20111011022792A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Combs Dale B RV-4 · Madera, CA · October 11, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 11, 2011 · 11:00 local
Place
Madera, CA
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N506DC
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR12CA005
Reported as
Combs Dale B RV-4
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
5,000 total600 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days
N506DCRegistered now · Combs Dale B RV-4S/N 001 · Built 1996Airframe modelCombs Dale B RV-4Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

While practicing flying in formation, a pitch up and bank maneuver resulted in the pilot of 506DC losing sight of 427EF. A collision then occurred when 506DC (piloted by privacy data omitted) struck 427EF (piloted by privacy data omitted, see related report) from behind and beneath. The left wing and aileron of 506DC was damaged along with the canopy and fuselage. 506DC then entered a steep spiral dive and would not respond to aileron input. The pilot retarded the throttle and increased pitch which slowed the spiral to a continuous right turn. He was able to land the plane with elevator and rudder only in a field with no injury. 427EF was able to return safely to sierra sky park (E79) with substantial damage to the propeller and right wing tip and no injury to the sole pilot. The pilot of 506DC stated that he should have taken evasive action when he lost site of 427EF rather than continue looking. The fat FSDO FAA safety team rep. Plans on conducting a safety seminar with the formation flying aviators based at E79.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE PRACTICING FLYING IN FORMATION, A PITCH UP AND BANK MANEUVER RESULTED IN THE PILOT OF 506DC LOSING SIGHT OF 427EF. A COLLISION THEN OCCURRED WHEN 506DC (PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) STRUCK 427EF (PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SEE RELATED REPORT) FROM BEHIND AND BENEATH. THE LEFT WING AND AILERON OF 506DC WAS DAMAGED ALONG WITH THE CANOPY AND FUSELAGE. 506DC THEN ENTERED A STEEP SPIRAL DIVE AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO AILERON INPUT. THE PILOT RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND INCREASED PITCH WHICH SLOWED THE SPIRAL TO A CONTINUOUS RIGHT TURN. HE WAS ABLE TO LAND THE PLANE WITH ELEVATOR AND RUDDER ONLY IN A FIELD WITH NO INJURY. 427EF WAS ABLE TO RETURN SAFELY TO SIERRA SKY PARK (E79) WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND RIGHT WING TIP AND NO INJURY TO THE SOLE PILOT. THE PILOT OF 506DC STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION WHEN HE LOST SITE OF 427EF RATHER THAN CONTINUE LOOKING. THE FAT FSDO FAA SAFETY TEAM REP. PLANS ON CONDUCTING A SAFETY SEMINAR WITH THE FORMATION FLYING AVIATORS BASED AT E79.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR12CA005Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportMadera, CAThe third airplane pilot’s failure to maintain visual contact with the second airplane during the formation flight.Oct 11, 2011 · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N427EFFreitag Ernst Vans RV-8Accident 20111011022802A · Substantial damage