- Date
- November 23, 1985, 12:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Gatesville, TX
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N448RVBill Mccarley RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851123057879A
- Case key
- 21923
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft collided with trees after performing aerobatic maneuvers. The PIC said that the pass'g/plt had flown the last part of the flt. Following a maneuver at aprx 500 ft AGL, the acft was maneuvered into a climbing left turn during which it continued to roll until inverted. The pass'g/plt, according to the PIC, reduced power and tried to pull the acft nose through the dive to recovery. During the bottom of the maneuver the acft collided with trees. The wings were separated from the acft by the collision with the trees after which the acft nosed down into the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N448RV
- Reported as
- Bill Mccarley RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 448
- Airframe hours
- 50
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-EZA, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James & Billy Mccarley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 1985 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- O5F · Gatesville, TX
- Destination
- O5F · Gatesville, TX
- Airport
- O5F · Gatesville City - County, runway 36, 3,400 × 50 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 239 total · 25 in this make and model · 239 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ACT, 37 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.