20141124020449A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Ross H/Herriott M VANS AIRCRAFT RV-3 · Las Cruces, NM · November 24, 2014

Date: November 24, 2014 · 12:45 local
Place: Las Cruces, NM
Airport: Las Cruces International
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N625ZH
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN15LA059
Reported as: Ross H/Herriott M Vans Aircraft RV-3
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,500 total4 in this make and model

N625ZHRegistration cancelled Jan 21, 2016 · Ross H/Herriott M VANS AIRCRAFT RV-3S/N 11299 Airframe modelRoss H/Herriott M VANS AIRCRAFT RV-3 Engine modelLycoming IO-320 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.

Witnesses stated after lift-off a steep angle of climb was initiated to an altitude of approximately 500 feet, followed by a left 60 to 90 degree bank turning crosswind, followed by another left 60 to 90 degree bank turn to downwind. After the second turn, the left wing dropped, the aircraft spun left impacting the ground at a vertical attitude. The aircraft was destroyed. The pilot and sole person on board was fatally injured.

As the FAA filed it

WITNESSES STATED AFTER LIFT-OFF A STEEP ANGLE OF CLIMB WAS INITIATED TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET, FOLLOWED BY A LEFT 60 TO 90 DEGREE BANK TURNING CROSSWIND, FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER LEFT 60 TO 90 DEGREE BANK TURN TO DOWNWIND. AFTER THE SECOND TURN, THE LEFT WING DROPPED, THE AIRCRAFT SPUN LEFT IMPACTING THE GROUND AT A VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT AND SOLE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED.

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 CEN15LA059Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportLas Cruces, NMThe pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control, which resulted in a stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to obtain adequate familiarization in the accident airplane type before the accident.Nov 24, 2014 · Destroyed