Amateur-built RV8 N804RL accident near Culpeper, Virginia

Probable cause

The pilot's loss of attitude orientation while maneuvering at low altitude in dark night visual meteorological conditions, which resulted in impact with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The accident pilot was performing as part of a two-airplane demonstration team that was conducting a night aerobatic display about 55 minutes after the end of civil twilight. Both airplanes were equipped with streamer- and flare-type fireworks that were discharged throughout the 5-minute routine. The pilot of the lead airplane stated that the night of the accident was "a little bit on the darker side" and that they had chosen to perform their display around 700 ft above ground level (agl) rather than their typical 500 ft agl altitude. They were in the middle of the routine when the accident occurred; the accident airplane was in trail behind the lead airplane as they each performed two aileron rolls. Video footage showed that, after completing the second aileron roll, the lead airplane began to climb. The accident airplane completed its second aileron roll to an inverted attitude, but rather than continuing the roll to an upright position, entered an inverted descent that continued until ground contact.

At the time of the accident, the moon was more than 14° below the horizon. The dark night conditions, combined with a lack of cultural lighting on the ground in the vicinity of the airport, would have increased the difficulty associated with the task of maintaining awareness of the airplane's attitude in relation to the horizon and its height above the ground. In addition, the multiple point-source glare from the pyrotechnics off the lead airplane during the final moments of the flight may have impeded the pilot's vision and affected his ability to maintain his orientation during maneuver, particularly without a discernable contrast between earth and sky under the dark night conditions. With this loss of attitude orientation, it is likely that the pilot did not recognize that he had not come out of the roll and the airplane continued to ground impact.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA19FA010 for the full record.