# Accident 20150902012849A: Cooper Michael C RV-8A, Advance, NC, September 2, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 2, 2015, 14:10 local time
- Place: Advance, NC
- Airport: Twin Lakes
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.9144° N, 80.4622° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9144&lon=-80.4622&mi=10
- Aircraft: N393MC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N393MC-2018-04-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cooper Michael C RV-8A (registry code 05610T0, https://openairdocs.org/model/cooper-michael-c-rv-8a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: COOPER MICHAEL C RV-8A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 150 total, 25 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA15FA335](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA335) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150902012849A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DAVID STUBBLEFIELD BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT, AND SAT IN THE FRONT SEAT. WITNESSES STATED THAT HE NEEDED EXCESSIVE SEAT CUSHIONS IN ORDER TO ADEQUATELY SEE OVER THE TOP OF THE GLARESHIELD. WILLIAM GERALD STUBBLEFIELD WAS SEATED IN THE REAR SEAT. MR. DAVID STUBBLEFIELD WAS ONLY RECENTLY (MARCH 2015) CERTIFICATED AS A PRIVATE PILOT. BOTH SEATS HAD CONTROLS, HOWEVER ONLY THE FRONT SEAT HAD THROTTLE, MIXTURE, AND PROPELLER CONTROLS. ACCORDING TO WTINESSES, THE AIRCRAFT TAXIIED OUT, CONDUCTED A RUN UP, AND DEPARTED RUNWAY 27. WITNESSES STATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLEW A PATTERN APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED, FLEW ALONG THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY AT 200 FEET, UNTIL IT DESCENDED SLIGHTLY TO GAIN MORE SPEED, THEN UPON REACHING THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY, PITCHED UP SLIGHTLY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO CONDUCT A BARREL ROLL TO THE LEFT. NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE ROLL, WITNESSES OBSERVED A LARGE SPLASH OF WATER ABOVE THE TREELINE, AND HEARD THE SOUND OF AN IMPACT, FOLLOWED BY SMOKE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY EXTENDED CENTERLINE AND ENDED UP ON THE SHORELINE OF A POND. THE ENGINE AND RIGHT WING HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FOUND RESTING IN THE POND. THE FUSELAGE WAS FOUND POINTING IN A 120 DEGREE DIRECTION SOME 20 FEET FROM THE SHORE OF THE POND. THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND WAS FOUND RESTING NEAR THE SHORE OF THE POND. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED FROM THE AIRFRAME, AND WERE FATALLY INJURED. A SMALL FIRE ERUPTED BENEATH THE SEPARATED LEFT WING, BUT WAS EXTINGUISHED BY LOCALS USING DRY CHEMICAL. ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE FOUND SEVERED FROM THE IMPACT, HOWEVER CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATES THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. SUFFICIENT FUEL WAS AVAILABLE, AS THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FILLED LEAVING MORRISTOWN TN EARLIER THAT DAY. THE FLIGHT WOULD HAVE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 25 GALLONS OF FUEL ABOARD AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. NO LOGBOOKS, OR CERTIFICATES WERE RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA15FA335](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA335), Sep 2, 2015: Cooper Michael C RV 8A (N393MC), Advance, NC, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilots' failure to maintain airplane control during a low-altitude maneuver.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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