What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Friday March 28th 2025, an experimental van’s RV-8 experienced a sudden engine stoppage during cruise flight. Pilot attempted an unsuccessful dead stick landing at Marlboro county Jetport (bbp), in Bennettsville, SC.
Aircraft departed chesapeake, VA (cpk) Friday March 28th 2025 for camden, SC (cdn). Approximately 1.5 hours into the flight near Bennettsville, SC, the engine stopped abruptly and without warning. An attempt to land at Marlboro Co Jetport was unsuccessful. Pilot diched the aircraft in a field one-quarter mile off the end of runway 25. Initial impact with the ground tore both left and right main landing gear from the fuselage. Aircraft then slid to a stop in the open field. The fuselage, wings and propeller suffered substantial damage. No post crash fire or emergency situation resulted from the ditching.
The pilot was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and kept overnight.
Upon inspection, engine oil level was in the normal operating range. All sparkplugs were installed with wires connected securely. Externally, the fuel pump and magnetos visually appeared in good condition. No other external engine features appeared abnormal or out of place. When the wing fuel filler caps were removed, no fuel was visible in either wing tanks. Recovery team attempted to drain fuel for a sample without success (no fuel).
When interviewed, the pilot stated that it was his understanding the aircraft had been refueled at cpk before departure and he observed fuel in the tanks during his preflight. Before departure, he reset the cockpit garmin display to show fuel quantity as full, (42 gallons).
A review of privacy data omitted servicing logbook in chesapeake, VA for March 27th & 28th did not show the accident aircraft as being serviced / refueled.
Contact was made with van’s engineering team about the RV-8’S fuel tank system. Although there is a fuel quantity float system embedded in the wing tanks, if an aircraft’s cockpit is upgraded from analog gauges to a glass / digital display as in the case of the accident aircraft, in most cases, the fuel quantity indication must be manually set on the panel before flight.
Pilot accepts that his expectation of full tanks convinced him they were full when he looked in the tanks, and he also accepts that records show he was not refueled while he was on the ground at cpk.
As the FAA filed it
ON FRIDAY MARCH 28TH 2025, AN EXPERIMENTAL VAN’S RV-8 EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ENGINE STOPPAGE DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. PILOT ATTEMPTED AN UNSUCCESSFUL DEAD STICK LANDING AT MARLBORO COUNTY JETPORT (BBP), IN BENNETTSVILLE, SC.
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CHESAPEAKE, VA (CPK) FRIDAY MARCH 28TH 2025 FOR CAMDEN, SC (CDN). APPROXIMATELY 1.5 HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT NEAR BENNETTSVILLE, SC, THE ENGINE STOPPED ABRUPTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. AN ATTEMPT TO LAND AT MARLBORO CO JETPORT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. PILOT DICHED THE AIRCRAFT IN A FIELD ONE-QUARTER MILE OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 25. INITIAL IMPACT WITH THE GROUND TORE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FROM THE FUSELAGE. AIRCRAFT THEN SLID TO A STOP IN THE OPEN FIELD. THE FUSELAGE, WINGS AND PROPELLER SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO POST CRASH FIRE OR EMERGENCY SITUATION RESULTED FROM THE DITCHING.
THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES AND KEPT OVERNIGHT.
UPON INSPECTION, ENGINE OIL LEVEL WAS IN THE NORMAL OPERATING RANGE. ALL SPARKPLUGS WERE INSTALLED WITH WIRES CONNECTED SECURELY. EXTERNALLY, THE FUEL PUMP AND MAGNETOS VISUALLY APPEARED IN GOOD CONDITION. NO OTHER EXTERNAL ENGINE FEATURES APPEARED ABNORMAL OR OUT OF PLACE. WHEN THE WING FUEL FILLER CAPS WERE REMOVED, NO FUEL WAS VISIBLE IN EITHER WING TANKS. RECOVERY TEAM ATTEMPTED TO DRAIN FUEL FOR A SAMPLE WITHOUT SUCCESS (NO FUEL).
WHEN INTERVIEWED, THE PILOT STATED THAT IT WAS HIS UNDERSTANDING THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN REFUELED AT CPK BEFORE DEPARTURE AND HE OBSERVED FUEL IN THE TANKS DURING HIS PREFLIGHT. BEFORE DEPARTURE, HE RESET THE COCKPIT GARMIN DISPLAY TO SHOW FUEL QUANTITY AS FULL, (42 GALLONS).
A REVIEW OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SERVICING LOGBOOK IN CHESAPEAKE, VA FOR MARCH 27TH & 28TH DID NOT SHOW THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AS BEING SERVICED / REFUELED.
CONTACT WAS MADE WITH VAN’S ENGINEERING TEAM ABOUT THE RV-8’S FUEL TANK SYSTEM. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A FUEL QUANTITY FLOAT SYSTEM EMBEDDED IN THE WING TANKS, IF AN AIRCRAFT’S COCKPIT IS UPGRADED FROM ANALOG GAUGES TO A GLASS / DIGITAL DISPLAY AS IN THE CASE OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT, IN MOST CASES, THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION MUST BE MANUALLY SET ON THE PANEL BEFORE FLIGHT.
PILOT ACCEPTS THAT HIS EXPECTATION OF FULL TANKS CONVINCED HIM THEY WERE FULL WHEN HE LOOKED IN THE TANKS, AND HE ALSO ACCEPTS THAT RECORDS SHOW HE WAS NOT REFUELED WHILE HE WAS ON THE GROUND AT CPK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.