Scott VANS RV-4 N123SC

Summary

On 12 April 2000 at about 15:15 local time, a Scott VANS RV-4 registered N123SC was involved in an accident near Natchez, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 April 2000 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Natchez, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

31.5393, -91.3796

Aircraft

Scott VANS RV-4

Registration

N123SC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bay Saint Louis → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA00LA130

1 person had minor injuries.

an inadvertent stall at too low altitude to allow recovery. Factors in this accident were fog and low ceilings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot told investigators that he and his friend were originally en route to Lakeland, Florida, when his airplane developed engine problems. He landed and over the next 3 days the engine was repaired. When his friend returned they both departed for Texas. They did not filed a flight plan, nor was a weather briefing obtained. About 105 nautical miles into the flight, they encountered fog and low ceilings. They performed a 180 degree turn and reversed directions. The pilot of N123SC, stated he lost control of the aircraft as he began his turn behind the lead aircraft. He tried to regain control of the airplane, but all control inputs failed to control the aircraft. The next thing he saw, was the trees and ground coming up towards him. Examination of the wreckage revealed, the control stick was actuated fore and aft, left and right with positive input to all control surfaces that were still intact on the aircraft. It was the opinion of the FAA inspector, '...that weather, fog, low ceilings, lack of instrumentation and the pilot flying in marginally VFR to IFR weather without an instrument rating, possibly contributed to a loss of control, secondarily to some buffeting by the lead aircraft, and then possibly an accelerated stall. The reported weather at Natchez-Adams Airport (HEZ), located about 15 miles west of the crash site was: lowest ceiling: 200 overcast, visibility: 2 1/2 miles, temperature 63 degrees F, dew point: 63 degrees F, wind from 020 degrees, at 6 knots, and the altimeter 30.16 inHg.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.