Oliver VANS RV-9A N559B

Summary

On 19 June 2010 at about 17:03 local time, a Oliver VANS RV-9A registered N559B, operated by Oliver Robert K, was involved in an accident near May, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 June 2010 at 17:03

Classification

Accident

Location

May, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

May Airport (0U8)

Coordinates

44.6103, -113.8947

Aircraft

Oliver VANS RV-9A

Registration

N559B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Oliver Robert K

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Challis → May

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA299

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during maneuvering flight due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's ingestion of an impairing level of over-the-counter medication.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While approaching his destination airport, the pilot made a left turn to circle over an adjacent town. He then reduced his angle of bank, but continued in a left turn so as to overfly and evaluate the surface condition of the dirt/turf airstrip where he planned to land. At the time that he ultimately rolled wings-level to parallel the runway, he had been in a left turn for approximately four minutes. About 20 seconds after the pilot rolled out of the turn, the airplane rolled to the left and descended into the terrain. A forensic toxicology examination determined that the pilot's blood contained levels of an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine that would be expected to result in impairment, and it is likely that the pilot lost control of his airplane due to spatial disorientation exacerbated by the effects of the antihistamine. A postaccident examination of the airplane's flight control system and primary structure performed by a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector did not reveal any evidence of a malfunction or anomaly that would have contributed to the rapid roll and descent into the terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.