20230608010159A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Moseley Gary SKY BOLT · Rio Vista, CA · June 8, 2023

Date: June 8, 2023 · 11:42 local
Place: Rio Vista, CA
Phase of flight: Unknown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N202GM
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR23FA219
Reported as: Moseley Gary SKY Bolt
Reported engine: Superior IO-360 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor

N202GMRegistration cancelled Dec 16, 2023 · Moseley Gary SKY BOLTS/N 56 Airframe modelMoseley Gary SKY BOLT Engine modelSuperior IO-360 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 wrecked aircraft was found on a dirt road about a mile southeast of the Rio Vista municipal airport on a heading of 327 degrees. There were no ground scars that showed any forward motion of the aircraft. The spars between the lower and upper wing were bent forward indicating a high speed forward impact. The main landing gear remained intact. The canopy was found a few feet from the right wing of the aircraft. The elevator trim tab was discovered hanging from a bracket that was attached to the elevator. The trim tab itself was not attached to the elevator. The wooden propeller was severely damaged, therefore it could not be determined if the engine was operating at the time of impact.

As the FAA filed it

THE WRECKED AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND ON A DIRT ROAD ABOUT A MILE SOUTHEAST OF THE RIO VISTA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ON A HEADING OF 327 DEGREES. THERE WERE NO GROUND SCARS THAT SHOWED ANY FORWARD MOTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE SPARS BETWEEN THE LOWER AND UPPER WING WERE BENT FORWARD INDICATING A HIGH SPEED FORWARD IMPACT. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR REMAINED INTACT. THE CANOPY WAS FOUND A FEW FEET FROM THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS DISCOVERED HANGING FROM A BRACKET THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE ELEVATOR. THE TRIM TAB ITSELF WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE ELEVATOR. THE WOODEN PROPELLER WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, THEREFORE IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.

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 WPR23FA219Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportRio Vista, CAThe pilots’ exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering to land, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.Jun 8, 2023 · Substantial damage