CEN20LA227

While the airplane was parked on the ramp before the flight, a witness noted that the aft cockpit seatbelt was wrapped around the control stick to secure the flight control surfaces; the conditions at the airport at the time were described by a second witness as "very windy." The first witness reminded the pilot to remove the belt before departure. Both witnesses noted that the airplane's elevator was up as the airplane taxied out for departure. The airplane's takeoff ground roll was short, and as the airplane became airborne, it entered a steep climb to about 50 ft above the ground, rolled left, then entered a vertical descent to ground contact. The witnesses noted that the airplane's elevator was in the full up position at the accident site and as the fire continued, the elevator slowly lowered. Postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The seat belt webbing was not identified in the charred cockpit. Given the available information, it is likely that the pilot, seated in the front cockpit of the tandem-configured airplane, failed to remove the seat belt from the aft control stick before departure, resulting in a loss of control during the initial climb and subsequent impact with terrain. The elevator likely lowered as the webbing material melted due to the fire.

The airplane kit manufacturer had a stated policy in place for all its company pilots that only the pilot’s stick is to be wrapped around the control stick whenever an airplane's controls are secured by wrapping . The copilot/passenger stick is not to be used to secure the controls under any circumstances. The airplane was a low-wing, tailwheel-equipped airplane with a tandem seating configuration. Both forward and aft seating positions were equipped with seatbelts and flight controls. On June 13, 2020, about 1400 central daylight time, a Vans RV8 airplane, N836JC, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Mandan, North Dakota. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. One witness had a meeting with the pilot and others just before the accident flight. The witness walked over to the airplane after the meeting and noticed that the aft cockpit seatbelt was strapped around the control stick. The pilot said that this was done to hold the airplane's flight controls while parked with windy conditions present. This witness reminded the pilot to remove the belt from around the rear seat controls before departure. The witness walked away from the parking area on the ramp and saw the pilot turn around while in the cockpit, but could not see what he was doing. The witness noticed that the airplane's elevator was up as the airplane departed. The airplane became airborne quickly, flew straight up, rolled left, and then went straight down before impacting the ground; a fire ensued. The witness observed that the elevator was in an up position at the accident site and slowly lowered as the fire continued. Another witness stated that it was very "windy," and he noticed that the wind swung the airplane around during its taxi for departure. The pilot continued a 360° turn on the ramp and then taxied the airplane to the runway for departure. The witness noticed that the airplane's elevator was up during this time and it stayed up throughout the takeoff. Upon lifting off the runway, the airplane "immediately" went straight up to about 50 ft above the ground, entered a left bank, then entered a nose-down, vertical descent to impact. The witness along with another witness tried to pull the pilot out, but the airplane was engulfed in flames. The North Dakota Department of Health State Forensic Examiner conducted an autopsy on the pilot and took toxicological samples. The cause of death was listed as blunt head and chest injuries with burning by fire. Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carboxyhemoglobin, ethanol, and drugs of abuse. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined and documented the wreckage site. The inboard portions of both wings, the engine, and sections of the fuselage were thermally damaged consistent with a postimpact fire. A ground scar was present south of the wreckage. Linear gougeswere observed within the ground scar. The propeller blades exhibited leading edge nicks and chordwise abrasion. The trim tab on the left elevator was displaced downward, consistent with nose-up trim. The cockpit interior was discolored, deformed, and charred. The seatbelt webbing was not identified.