Rich RV-4 N3344E
30 June 2002 · Grand Junction, Colorado, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 30 June 2002 at about 14:30 local time, a Rich RV-4 registered N3344E was involved in an accident near Grand Junction, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Grand Junction, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Pinyon Field
- Coordinates
- 39.0250, -108.7167
- Aircraft
- Rich RV-4
- Registration
- N3344E
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Grand Junction → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN02LA063
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot failing to maintain aircraft control during the pull up maneuver. A factor relating to the accident was the inadvertent stall spin.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A witness reported that the experimental homebuilt airplane initiated a sharp pull up with the right wing low after making a pass over the runway. The airplane went inverted with the left wing coming up and over. The airplane then "righted," descended, and impacted into the trees. The forward fuselage, engine, and cockpit were bent downward, broken open and crushed aft. Both wings showed aft crushing along the spans of the leading edge. The fuselage aft of the cockpit showed minor damage. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were bent upward and crushed aft. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Rich RV-4 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 1994 | Rich RV-4 | Weston, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun 2002 | Beechcraft 58P | Grand Junction, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2002 | Cessna 310N | Grand Junction, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jan 2002 | Piper PA-23-250 | Pagosa Springs, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Nov 2002 | Mooney M20E | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jan 2002 | McDonnell Douglas MD 902 | Aurora, Colorado, United States | MD Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 2002 | Maule M-5-235C | Grand Junction, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |