What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 15, 2026 privacy data omitted, a Blessing RV-3A departed bartow municipal airport enroute for an inflight link up with another RV-3 to conduct formation flight. The two aircraft apprx. 2000 feet, 140 KTS and were flying in formation, the accident airpcraft pilot asked for a video of him performing a right formation break as privacy data omitted was the lead aircraft in the formation. privacy data omitted Perfromed a right break, second aircraft pilot observed right wing fold 90 degrees and struck the canopy then the wing completely departed the aircraft. The pilot lost control of the airplane as it was inverted and was in a spin. Airplane impacted a tall pine tree and seemingly slid down that tree and impacted the ground nose first. Accident scene indicated that the impact was substantial causing the engine and propeller to be buried and pilot extracation was difficult due to the nature of the damage and impact. Investigation does not reveal pilot error, results reveal structural integrity issues whic need to be further investigated by the manufacture and NTSB investigators.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 15, 2026 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A BLESSING RV-3A DEPARTED BARTOW MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ENROUTE FOR AN INFLIGHT LINK UP WITH ANOTHER RV-3 TO CONDUCT FORMATION FLIGHT. THE TWO AIRCRAFT APPRX. 2000 FEET, 140 KTS AND WERE FLYING IN FORMATION, THE ACCIDENT AIRPCRAFT PILOT ASKED FOR A VIDEO OF HIM PERFORMING A RIGHT FORMATION BREAK AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE LEAD AIRCRAFT IN THE FORMATION. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFROMED A RIGHT BREAK, SECOND AIRCRAFT PILOT OBSERVED RIGHT WING FOLD 90 DEGREES AND STRUCK THE CANOPY THEN THE WING COMPLETELY DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AS IT WAS INVERTED AND WAS IN A SPIN. AIRPLANE IMPACTED A TALL PINE TREE AND SEEMINGLY SLID DOWN THAT TREE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE FIRST. ACCIDENT SCENE INDICATED THAT THE IMPACT WAS SUBSTANTIAL CAUSING THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER TO BE BURIED AND PILOT EXTRACATION WAS DIFFICULT DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE DAMAGE AND IMPACT. INVESTIGATION DOES NOT REVEAL PILOT ERROR, RESULTS REVEAL STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY ISSUES WHIC NEED TO BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED BY THE MANUFACTURE AND NTSB INVESTIGATORS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.