What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Limited information available at this time. Investigation still attempting to identify potential causal factors. Aircraft layout scheduled for 5/23/2019.
Narrative from NTSB:
On April 18, 2019, about 1615 pacific daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built vans aircraft RV8A, N791PF, was substantially damaged following an inflight loss of control and subsequent impact with terrain about one-half nautical miles (NM) northwest of Brookings airport (bok), Brookings, Oregon. The commercial pilot and his sole passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provision of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight that originated at grants pass airport, grants pass, Oregon. The time of departure has not been determined at this time.
A witness who was driving down the west side of the field at bok and parallel to runway 30/12, reported that he watched the airplane make a touch-and-go landing, which was not unusually hard or out of control; the sound of the engine was normal and smooth. The airplane then passed about 300 [to his left] before going out of site. At that time, he did not recall the n number, but was informed later that it was N791PF.
A second witness, who was positioned in a lumber yard about 1 NM northwest of bok, reported that he observed the airplane inflight about 500 to 800 ft above the ground and heading north. He then observed the airplane make a turn back to the south, maintaining the same altitude, but could not remember which way it turned. Shortly thereafter, the airplane reversed course again to the north, which was then followed by the airplane rolling over on its right side, from which the airplane's belly/undercarriage was visible to the witness. At that point the airplane nosed over and descended straight down before going out of sight in a bush and tree-covered ravine.
An onsite examination the following morning by a federal aviation administration aviation safety inspector, revealed that the airplane had impacted terrain in a "near vertical attitude", and came to rest in the ravine in an upright and nose-down attitude. There was no postcrash fire.
As the FAA filed it
LIMITED INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. INVESTIGATION STILL ATTEMPTING TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL CAUSAL FACTORS. AIRCRAFT LAYOUT SCHEDULED FOR 5/23/2019.
NARRATIVE FROM NTSB:
ON APRIL 18, 2019, ABOUT 1615 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR-BUILT VANS AIRCRAFT RV8A, N791PF, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENT IMPACT WITH TERRAIN ABOUT ONE-HALF NAUTICAL MILES (NM) NORTHWEST OF BROOKINGS AIRPORT (BOK), BROOKINGS, OREGON. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS SOLE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISION OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED AT GRANTS PASS AIRPORT, GRANTS PASS, OREGON. THE TIME OF DEPARTURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME.
A WITNESS WHO WAS DRIVING DOWN THE WEST SIDE OF THE FIELD AT BOK AND PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 30/12, REPORTED THAT HE WATCHED THE AIRPLANE MAKE A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, WHICH WAS NOT UNUSUALLY HARD OR OUT OF CONTROL; THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE WAS NORMAL AND SMOOTH. THE AIRPLANE THEN PASSED ABOUT 300 [TO HIS LEFT] BEFORE GOING OUT OF SITE. AT THAT TIME, HE DID NOT RECALL THE N NUMBER, BUT WAS INFORMED LATER THAT IT WAS N791PF.
A SECOND WITNESS, WHO WAS POSITIONED IN A LUMBER YARD ABOUT 1 NM NORTHWEST OF BOK, REPORTED THAT HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE INFLIGHT ABOUT 500 TO 800 FT ABOVE THE GROUND AND HEADING NORTH. HE THEN OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE MAKE A TURN BACK TO THE SOUTH, MAINTAINING THE SAME ALTITUDE, BUT COULD NOT REMEMBER WHICH WAY IT TURNED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRPLANE REVERSED COURSE AGAIN TO THE NORTH, WHICH WAS THEN FOLLOWED BY THE AIRPLANE ROLLING OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE, FROM WHICH THE AIRPLANE'S BELLY/UNDERCARRIAGE WAS VISIBLE TO THE WITNESS. AT THAT POINT THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND DESCENDED STRAIGHT DOWN BEFORE GOING OUT OF SIGHT IN A BUSH AND TREE-COVERED RAVINE.
AN ONSITE EXAMINATION THE FOLLOWING MORNING BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR, REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A "NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE", AND CAME TO REST IN THE RAVINE IN AN UPRIGHT AND NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE. THERE WAS NO POSTCRASH FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.