- Date
- July 17, 2020, 13:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Grimes, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N508CMVans RV 8
- Defining event
- Unknown: Unknown or undetermined
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200717009169A
- Case key
- 101632
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane was not examined.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he landed the airplane at a friend’s private airstrip and taxied back to take off again. During the takeoff roll, the engine lost power and he aborted the takeoff. Later that day, the engine was examined by a mechanic, who was unable to find any anomalies. After the mechanic cleared the airplane for flight, the pilot taxied to the runway, performed two run-up checks, then proceeded to take off. About 50 to 70 ft above ground level, the engine again lost partial power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a corn field, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane wreckage was sold before an examination could be scheduled; therefore, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Factual narrative
On July 17, 2020, about 1345 Pacific daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built RV-8 airplane, N508CM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Grimes, California. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that he landed the airplane at a friend’s private airstrip and taxied back to take off again. During the takeoff roll, the engine lost power and he aborted the takeoff. Later that day, the engine was examined by a mechanic, who was unable to find any anomalies. After the mechanic cleared the airplane for flight, the pilot taxied to the runway, performed two run-up checks, and then proceeded to take off. About 50 to 70 ft above ground level, the engine again lost partial power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a corn field, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane wreckage was sold before an examination could be scheduled; therefore, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N508CM
- Reported as
- Vans RV 8 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 80698
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 754.2
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 7, 2019
- Destination
- O08 · Colusa, CA
- Airport
- N/A · Cecil Airstrip, runway UNK, 1,800 × 50 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 3,927 total · 445 in this make and model · 3,624 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,004 total · 0 in this make and model · 873 as pilot in command · 89 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KMYV, 16 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KMYV 172053Z AUTO VRB06KT 10SM CLR 31/15 A2989 RMK AO2 SLP125 T03060150 58012
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.