History of Flight
At approximately 2000 central daylight time on July 5, 2008, a Kevin Shannon RV-8 homebuilt airplane, registration N184KS, was destroyed when it struck terrain and parked cars while performing a low altitude flight demonstration near Valera, Texas. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local flight originated from Coleman Municipal Airport, Coleman, Texas, at about 1945.
According to the pilot's wife, he had flown from Brownwood Municipal Airport (BWB) to Coleman on July 3, then drove to a private ranch near Valera to inspect the area for a planned flyover on July 5. The flyover was part of an Independence Day celebration attended by approximately 1,200 people. After a ground inspection, he flew over the performance area and returned to BWB. On July 4, he fueled the airplane at BWB with 17.4 gallons of 100 octane low lead aviation fuel. A witness observed the airplane flying for about an hour after refueling.
On the accident day, the pilot flew to Coleman, landed, drove to the performance area, then returned to the airplane. He conducted three low altitude passes, each ending with a pull-up. During the pull-up from the third pass, the airplane rolled left and entered a steep dive into a car parking area. The airplane rotated approximately 270 degrees from the start of the pull-up to impact.
Personnel Information
The 38-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. His last FAA third-class medical was issued on April 12, 2007, with no limitations. His logbook, found in the wreckage, contained an entry for a biennial flight review on June 5, 2008, and indicated an estimated total flight time of 635 hours as of the last entry on October 3, 2005. On his most recent medical application, he reported 1,000 total hours and 3 hours in the preceding 6 months.
Aircraft Information
The 2005-model Shannon RV-8, serial number 80874, was a low-wing, semi-monocoque homebuilt with fixed tricycle landing gear and two seats. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360 fuel-injected engine (serial number L-19772-51A) rated at 200 horsepower at 2,700 rpm, driving a two-bladed Hartzell propeller. Logbooks were found in the wreckage. The last readable airplane logbook entry was dated February 23, 2000. The engine logbook indicated removal for storage on January 15, 2006. The propeller logbook showed an overhaul in November 2005. The Hobbs meter and tachometer were destroyed.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located in a field used as a parking lot. The airplane hit the ground and two parked cars. No propeller strikes were found on the ground or vehicles. One car battery caught fire and was extinguished by firefighters. The left wing separated from the fuselage and was twisted upward and aft; the left fuel tank was compromised, with no evidence of fluid movement damage. The right wing spar was partially separated downward. The tail and empennage were bent over and left of the nose. The engine and propeller were broken upward relative to the airframe.
Flight control continuity was verified from all surfaces to the controls. Right wing controls separated where the wing broke, consistent with impact. The engine fractured near the nose case. Cylinders 1 and 3 had fin damage; cylinders 2 and 4 were distorted aft. The engine could be rotated by hand, and continuity to all pistons and accessory gears was observed. No pre-impact anomalies were found. No fuel was observed in the engine. The propeller was secure; blade A bent aft ~30 degrees with chordwise marring; blade B bent aft ~20 degrees with chordwise and lengthwise scratches and a trailing edge gouge. According to the Lycoming accident investigator, the propeller and engine case damage were consistent with an engine not developing power at impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted on July 6, 2008, by the Dallas County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. FAA toxicology tests for volatiles and drugs were negative. Tests for carbon monoxide and cyanide were not performed.
Additional Information
The pilot's wife reported that the pilot did not want a full fuel load for the flyover and did not fuel the airplane on the accident day. She also communicated with him by radio between passes, and he did not indicate any issues. The airplane builder stated that standard 42-gallon fuel tanks were installed with two fuel gauges and a three-position selector (Left-Right-Off). He estimated fuel burn at 10 gallons per hour at cruise. The Lycoming Operator's Manual lists 12.3 gph at 75% power and 9.5 gph at 65% power. The pilot did not obtain a waiver for Title 14 CFR Part 91.119 (minimum safe altitudes) or 91.303 (aerobatic flight), which prohibit aerobatics below 1,500 feet, over open air assemblies of persons, and other conditions.