# NTSB CEN09LA523: From Here To There PDQ RV-8, N98AW, Tea, SD, August 16, 2009 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 16, 2009, 14:11 local (19:11 UTC) - Place: Tea, SD - Coordinates: 43.446388, -96.837501 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.4464&lon=-96.8375&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-aerobatics: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal - Status: Completed, report December 20, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA-RAP-FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 74528 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN09LA523 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/74528/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=74528 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA523 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during recovery from an aerobatic maneuver. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined; cases with it: [From Here To There PDQ RV-8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=056113K), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [From Here To There PDQ RV-8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=056113K), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-aerobatics: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [From Here To There PDQ RV-8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=056113K), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Maneuvering-aerobatics: Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220); cases with it: [From Here To There PDQ RV-8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md?model=056113K), [All aircraft, 780 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md) ## Analysis Witnesses reported seeing the airplane perform a maneuver similar to a hammerhead stall. The airplane recovered and then entered a second similar maneuver. One witness reported that during that second maneuver, as the airplane began to descend, the engine made a popping noise and sounded like it lost power. The witness said that the airplane was doing a “twirling effect” until it impacted the terrain. Another witness said that he saw the airplane climbing until it was “almost standing still, then it cut left” and entered a 45-degree nose-down spin. He reported that after the first or second spin he heard the engine “cut out then backfire about 3 times and then it sounded like it quit.” The witness stated that the airplane kept spinning until it was near the ground, at which time it appeared to “straighten out.” He stated the airplane then disappeared behind a hill and, a second later, he heard the impact. The engine monitoring system recorded data throughout the flight. The data indicated that the engine rpm and manifold pressure fluctuated at different times throughout the flight. The engine rpm increased from a low of 518 rpm to 1,896 rpm then back down to 1,554 rpm in the last 5 seconds of recorded data. During the same time, the manifold pressure increased from 16.3 inches up to 22.5 inches then down to 7.3 inches at the last recorded data. A postaccident inspection of the engine did not reveal any preexisting failures or malfunctions that would have resulted in a loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 16, 2009, at 1411 central daylight time, a From Here To There PDQ, RV-8, N98AW, collided with the terrain while performing aerobatic maneuvers 3 miles west of Tea, South Dakota. The airline transport rated pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The local flight departed from the Skie-Lincoln County Airport (Y14), Tea, South Dakota, at approximately 1345. One witness reported seeing the airplane as it started a climb. He reported the airplane kept climbing until it was “almost standing still then it cut left” and entered a 45 degree angle nose down spin. He reported that after the first or second spin he heard the engine “cut out then backfire about 3 times and then it sounded like it quit.” The witness stated the airplane kept spinning until it was near the ground, at which time it appeared to “straighten out.” He stated the airplane then disappeared behind a hill and a second later, he heard the impact. Another witness reported he saw the airplane perform a maneuver similar to what was described by the first witness. He stated the airplane then entered a second similar maneuver, but as the airplane began to descend, the engine “stalled and made a big pop and then it made another pop and then it was silent….” He stated the airplane was doing a “twirling effect” until it impacted the terrain. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot-in-command, age 28, held an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multi-engine land rating, and commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land. The certificate contained type rating for BE-300, CE-500 and CE-560XL airplanes. In addition, the pilot held a certified flight instructor certificate which included airplane single and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. This certificate was issued on June 22, 2009. The pilot was issued a first-class medical certificate on October 30, 2008. The medical certificate contained the limitation that the holder must wear corrective lenses. An estimate of the pilot’s flight time was reconstructed from several logbooks and miscellaneous flight time records. The pilot’s total flight time was approximately 6,187 hours of which approximately 5,548 hours were as pilot in command. The pilot was a member of the Vanguard Squadron aerobatic team. The pilot flew a single seat RV-3 as a member of the team. On a questioner dated June 12, 2009, the pilot reported having 375 hours of flight time in RV-3 airplanes. Members of the Vanguard Squadron used the accident airplane, a two seat RV-8, for training and demonstration flights. A flight time notebook for the accident airplane was found in the wreckage and it was partially illegible as a result of the accident. The notebook showed that the pilot had at least 30 hours of flight time in the accident airplane.Both the pilot and passenger were wearing parachutes at the time of the accident. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The accident airplane was an amateur-built aerobatic RV-8, serial number 80270. The airplane was a two-place, tandem seating airplane which was intended to be flown from the front seat. The airplane was powered by a 200 horsepower, Lycoming AEIO-360-A1E engine, serial number L-22721-51A The airplane was built by a previous owner and a Special Airworthiness Certificate on November 2, 2001. The Vanguard Squadron purchased the airplane in January 2006. According to logbooks, the last condition inspection for the aircraft and engine was completed on March 24, 2009, at an aircraft total time of 709.9 hours. The last entry in the engine logbook was for an oil change which occurred on May 13, 2009, at a total time of 751.3 hours. The airplane was being operated on 100 percent Ethanol. According to member of the Vanguard Squadron, their practice was to top the airplane with fuel at the end of every flight. The airplane held 44 gallons of fuel and it was equipped with an inverted oil system. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 1356, the surface weather conditions at the Foss Airport (FSD), Sioux Falls, South Dakota, located approximately 10 miles north, northeast of the accident site were: Wind from 310 degrees at 12 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; few clouds at 3,700 feet; temperature 22 degrees Celsius; dew point 14 degrees Celsius; altimeter 29.94 inches of mercury. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The airplane came to rest in an upright attitude in a soybean field. There were no ground scars visible other than those where the airplane came to rest. The engine was embedded in the ground at an approximate 45 degree angle. The cockpit area was buckled downward just aft of the aft seat. The canopy was separated from the airplane and was found lying on the ground near the airplane. The empennage was intact. The leading edge of both the left and right wings were crushed rearward. The left aileron was intact; however, the inboard section of the aileron was detached from the wing as was the wing tip. The right wing control surfaces were intact. The fuel selector was positioned on the left fuel tank. The pointer on the selector was broken off. The propeller control was forward. The throttle and mixture controls were found mid-range. A post accident inspection of the airplane and engine failed to reveal any anomalies that would have resulted in the accident. Continuity was verified throughout the engine and compression was noted on all cylinders when the engine was rotated by hand. Both magnetos produced spark when rotated. Fuel was noted at the accident site. The airplane was equipped with a Dynon Avionics EMS-D10 (engine monitoring system) and a Dynon EFIS-D100 (electronic flight information system). The EFIS did was not capable of recording/storing data. The EMS contained about 29 minutes of data for the flight. The data indicates that the engine rpm andmanifold pressure fluctuated at different times throughout the flight. The engine rpm increased from a low of 518 rpm to 1,896 rpm, then back down to 1,554 rpm in the last 5 seconds of recorded data. During the same time, the manifold pressure increased from 16.3 inches up to 22.5 inches, then down to 7.3 inches at the last recorded data. The data is attached to this report. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION An autopsy on the pilot was not performed. A Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report was prepared for the pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration Civil Aeromedical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The results for all tests conducted were negative. Insufficient specimens were received for a full toxicological analysis. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N98AW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N98AW-2009-10-26), registration cancelled 2009-10-26, S/N 80270, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: FROM HERE TO THERE PDQ INC RV-8 - Registry model: [From Here To There PDQ RV-8](https://openairdocs.org/model/from-here-to-there-pdq-rv-8) (registry code 056113K) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 80270 - Airframe hours: 751 - Engines: Lycoming AEIO-360-A1E reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Todd E. Eslick - Registered owner: Vanguard Squadron Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, March 24, 2009 - Departed: Y14, Tea, SD - Destination: Y14, Tea, SD ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 28; injuries: fatal; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; flight hours: 6,187 total, 30 in this make and model, 5,548 as pilot in command, 82 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 310° at 12 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg - Observed at: FSD, 10 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20090816049219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090816049219A), Aug 16, 2009: From Here T RV-8, Tea, SD, Destroyed, 2 fatal. On August 16, 2009, pilot todd e. eslick and a passenger flew N98AW, an experimental RV-8 aircraft, to a practice area about 2 miles west of Tea, SD. The pilot… ## Docket (20 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 18, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=74528. 25.9 MB in all. - Witness Statements (item 1, .PDF, 179 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334748&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statements-Redacted.PDF - Lincoln County Sheriff's Report (item 2, .PDF, 233 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334747&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Lincoln%20County%20Sheriff%27s%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Dyson EMS-D10 Data (item 3, .PDF, 206 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334750&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Dyson%20EMS-D10%20Data-Master.PDF - Dyson EMS-D10 Data Plot 1 (item 4, .PDF, 2.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334751&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Dyson%20EMS-D10%20Data%20Plot%201-Master.PDF - Dyson EMS-D10 Data Plot 2 (item 5, .PDF, 2.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334752&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Dyson%20EMS-D10%20Data%20Plot%202-Master.PDF - Dyson EMS-D10 Data Plot 3 (item 6, .PDF, 2.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334753&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Dyson%20EMS-D10%20Data%20Plot%203-Master.PDF - Aircraft and Engine Logbook Excerpts (item 7, .PDF, 913 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334889&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Aircraft%20and%20Engine%20Logbook%20Excerpts-Redacted.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 8, .PDF, 98 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334749&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Photo 01. Main Wreckage of N98AW. (item 9, .PDF, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334733&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2001.%20%20Main%20Wreckage%20of%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 02. Engine on N98AW. (item 10, .PDF, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334734&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2002.%20%20Engine%20on%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 03. Front Left View of N98AW. (item 11, .PDF, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334735&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2003.%20%20Front%20Left%20View%20of%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 04. Left Wing on N98AW. (item 12, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334736&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2004.%20%20Left%20Wing%20on%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 05. Aft Portion of Left Wing on N98AW. (item 13, .PDF, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334737&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2005.%20%20Aft%20Portion%20of%20Left%20Wing%20on%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 06. Left Side of Fuselage of N98AW. (item 14, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334738&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2006.%20%20Left%20Side%20of%20Fuselage%20of%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 07. Left Side of Empennage of N98AW. (item 15, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334739&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2007.%20%20Left%20Side%20of%20Empennage%20of%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 08. Right Side of Empennage of N98AW. (item 16, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334740&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2008.%20%20Right%20Side%20of%20Empennage%20of%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 09. Right Wing on N98AW. (item 17, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334741&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2009.%20%20Right%20Wing%20on%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 10. Right Side of Fuselage of N98AW. (item 18, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334742&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2010.%20%20Right%20Side%20of%20Fuselage%20of%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 11. Inboard Section of Right Wing on N98AW. (item 19, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334743&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2011.%20%20Inboard%20Section%20of%20Right%20Wing%20on%20N98AW.-Master.PDF - Photo 12. Propeller on N9AW. (item 20, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334744&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2012.%20%20Propeller%20on%20N9AW.-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.