What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 28, 2026, at approximately 1005 MST, privacy data omitted, an experimental amateur-built vans aircraft RV-8, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near the utah/arizona border and south of Hurricane, Utah resulting in a fatality of the pilot and sole occupant on board.
The pilot of privacy data omitted departed st. george (ksgu) airport as part of a formation flight, #2 of 5 aircraft in a formation line. The group departed ksgu and continued east of the airfield for maneuvering. A few minutes after departure during flight formation two witnesses, who were pilots flying in the formation behind the accident aircraft, both stated that privacy data omitted pitched upward and rolled to the left. They stated that the aircraft continued to roll inverted and that the aircraft appeared to recover wings level just prior to impacting the terrain/ground. The aircraft was at approximately 500 feet AGL and 130 mph speed when it entered the maneuver.
The accident occurred in VMC with little to no reported winds. It was verified that the aircraft was fueled the night prior to the accident and there were no known or reported mechanical issues at the time of this report.
The cause of the accident is unknown.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 28, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1005 MST, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT VANS AIRCRAFT RV-8, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR THE UTAH/ARIZONA BORDER AND SOUTH OF HURRICANE, UTAH RESULTING IN A FATALITY OF THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD.
THE PILOT OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED ST. GEORGE (KSGU) AIRPORT AS PART OF A FORMATION FLIGHT, #2 OF 5 AIRCRAFT IN A FORMATION LINE. THE GROUP DEPARTED KSGU AND CONTINUED EAST OF THE AIRFIELD FOR MANEUVERING. A FEW MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE DURING FLIGHT FORMATION TWO WITNESSES, WHO WERE PILOTS FLYING IN THE FORMATION BEHIND THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT, BOTH STATED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PITCHED UPWARD AND ROLLED TO THE LEFT. THEY STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLL INVERTED AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO RECOVER WINGS LEVEL JUST PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE TERRAIN/GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL AND 130 MPH SPEED WHEN IT ENTERED THE MANEUVER.
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN VMC WITH LITTLE TO NO REPORTED WINDS. IT WAS VERIFIED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED THE NIGHT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND THERE WERE NO KNOWN OR REPORTED MECHANICAL ISSUES AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT.
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT IS UNKNOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.