Ulrich Christen VELOCITY XL RG N244CU
1 March 2008 · Titusville, Florida, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 1 March 2008 at about 12:36 local time, a Ulrich Christen VELOCITY XL RG registered N244CU, operated by Ulrich R. Christen, was involved in an accident near Titusville, Florida, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 12:36
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Titusville, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Arthur Dunn Air Park (X21)
- Coordinates
- 28.6200, -80.8347
- Aircraft
- Ulrich Christen VELOCITY XL RG
- Registration
- N244CU
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Ulrich R. Christen
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Sebastian → Titusville
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA08FA070
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot of the Velocity’s failure to see and avoid the flight of four RV-8s that had landed and were in the process of clearing the runway.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The accident, an on-ground collision between two airplanes at a non-towered airport, occurred when the lead airplane in a flight of four RV-8s, which had landed and exited the runway, was struck by a Velocity not associated with the flight. Witnesses stated that the flight of four RV-8s announced their intentions to land in formation on Runway 15 over the radio and on the same frequency that the Velocity announced its intention to conduct a straight in approach to Runway 15. The Velocity arrived on final just behind the fourth RV-8, and touched down on the runway close to the approach end. The Velocity then drifted left off the runway and onto the grass. It passed to the left of the three trailing RV-8s that were still on the runway, and struck the lead RV-8, which had cleared the runway to the left on a taxiway in the vicinity of the departure end of the runway. At some point prior to the collision, engine power on the Velocity increased. Examination of the Velocity did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions, and the weather in the area was conducive for visual flight rules operations.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulrich Christen VELOCITY XL RG | N244CU | Ulrich R. Christen | Destroyed |
| William E Hess RV-8 | N128RV | William E. Hess | Destroyed |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Mar 2008 | Cessna 182B | Wildwood, Florida, United States | Henry George Traill | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Dec 2008 | Bell OH-58C | Osceola County, Florida, United States | Helicopter Applicators, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 13 Dec 2008 | Kimball PITTS MODEL-12 | Weirdales, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 2008 | McKeehan James F ACRODUSTER II SA750 | Panama City, Florida, United States | Kevin G. Gorham | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 May 2008 | Beechcraft 65-A90 | Titusville, Florida, United States | Titusville Drop Zone | No injuries | - |
| 29 Aug 2008 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Sebring, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |