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20200919012309A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Coelho James J RV-4 · Clovis, NM · September 19, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 19, 2020 · 10:00 local
Place
Clovis, NM
Airport
Aero Tech, Inc.
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N250LB
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR20LA310
Reported as
Coelho James J RV-4
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
N250LBRegistration cancelled Feb 2, 2022 · Coelho James J RV-4S/N 77-3889Airframe modelCoelho James J RV-4Engine modelLycoming IO-540 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.

The aircraft took-off to the south from the grass strip. On the day of the event, a witness on the ground reported that the aircraft climbed to approximately 300 feet and rolled to the right crashing inverted to the right of the runway.

Inspection of the crash site revealed the aircraft struck the ground approximately 500 yards after the takeoff point and to the west of the runway. It struck the ground at a very shallow angle and was upright, not inverted. The main landing gear attach bolts sheared at the fuselage flange, and both mains folded under the wing.

The aircraft skid (upright) along the ground approximately 100 yards and then struck a cattle guard. The cattle guard caused the aircraft to become airborne for approximately 20 yards, after which it landed inverted and stopped.

Inspection of the flight controls revealed continuity of all control surfaces. The aircraft had adequate fuel and the witness stated the engine sounded like it was running normally.

The pilot was severely injured and has not been able to be interviewed.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT TOOK-OFF TO THE SOUTH FROM THE GRASS STRIP. ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT, A WITNESS ON THE GROUND REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AND ROLLED TO THE RIGHT CRASHING INVERTED TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY.

INSPECTION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 500 YARDS AFTER THE TAKEOFF POINT AND TO THE WEST OF THE RUNWAY. IT STRUCK THE GROUND AT A VERY SHALLOW ANGLE AND WAS UPRIGHT, NOT INVERTED. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ATTACH BOLTS SHEARED AT THE FUSELAGE FLANGE, AND BOTH MAINS FOLDED UNDER THE WING.

THE AIRCRAFT SKID (UPRIGHT) ALONG THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS AND THEN STRUCK A CATTLE GUARD. THE CATTLE GUARD CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BECOME AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 YARDS, AFTER WHICH IT LANDED INVERTED AND STOPPED.

INSPECTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS REVEALED CONTINUITY OF ALL CONTROL SURFACES. THE AIRCRAFT HAD ADEQUATE FUEL AND THE WITNESS STATED THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS RUNNING NORMALLY.

THE PILOT WAS SEVERELY INJURED AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE INTERVIEWED.

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 WPR20LA310Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportClovis, NMThe pilot’s failure to maintain lateral control during initial climb due to distraction, which resulted in an in-flight upset and impact with terrain.Sep 19, 2020 · Substantial damage