Amateur-built RV8 N791PF accident near Brookings, Oregon

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during an aggressive maneuver that resulted in a nose down collision with terrain.

NTSB analysis

A witness saw the airplane complete a touch-and-go landing and depart toward the north. Another witness saw the airplane flying north after takeoff, then shortly thereafter saw it flying south as if the pilot was returning to the airport for landing; the airplane then made an "abrupt or severe" 180° left turn back toward the north before it rolled onto its right side for several seconds, then "went straight down" and subsequently impacted terrain.

Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the airframe revealed that flight control continuity was confirmed throughout the airplane from the pilot controls to the control surfaces, with the exception of the elevator torque tube, which was fractured and observed to have separated near the elevator pitch servo. Metallurgical examination indicated that the fracture was consistent with bending overstress. It could not be determined if the fracture occurred prior to or during the impact sequence. It is most likely that the pilot experienced a loss of control during an aggressive maneuver at too low an altitude to recover from.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR19FA116 for the full record.