What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Accident aircraft was part of a two aircraft aerobatic performance being conducted at the 2018 Culpeper airfest located at Culpeper Regional Airport in Culpeper, Virginia. The aircraft were vans RV-8'S and they included pyrotecnics chaffing and flare systems on each wingtip. The performance was being conducted during night time hours and the surrounding conditions were dark.
The two aircraft had performed a portion of their show when they made a turn at the northern portion of the aerobatic box and began flying southwesterly along the show center line at approximately 500 feet AGL. The lead aircraft performed two 360 degree aileron rolls to the left and then began to climb. The trailing aircraft performed the same maneuver but only completed one and one-half aileron rolls before going into a dive and impacting the ground.
As the FAA filed it
ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS PART OF A TWO AIRCRAFT AEROBATIC PERFORMANCE BEING CONDUCTED AT THE 2018 CULPEPER AIRFEST LOCATED AT CULPEPER REGIONAL AIRPORT IN CULPEPER, VIRGINIA. THE AIRCRAFT WERE VANS RV-8'S AND THEY INCLUDED PYROTECNICS CHAFFING AND FLARE SYSTEMS ON EACH WINGTIP. THE PERFORMANCE WAS BEING CONDUCTED DURING NIGHT TIME HOURS AND THE SURROUNDING CONDITIONS WERE DARK.
THE TWO AIRCRAFT HAD PERFORMED A PORTION OF THEIR SHOW WHEN THEY MADE A TURN AT THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AEROBATIC BOX AND BEGAN FLYING SOUTHWESTERLY ALONG THE SHOW CENTER LINE AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL. THE LEAD AIRCRAFT PERFORMED TWO 360 DEGREE AILERON ROLLS TO THE LEFT AND THEN BEGAN TO CLIMB. THE TRAILING AIRCRAFT PERFORMED THE SAME MANEUVER BUT ONLY COMPLETED ONE AND ONE-HALF AILERON ROLLS BEFORE GOING INTO A DIVE AND IMPACTING THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.