History of Flight
On January 12, 2019, about 1115 Pacific standard time, an experimental, amateur-built Vans Aircraft Inc. RV-8A, registration N800KE, sustained substantial damage in an accident near Langley, Washington. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an Alert Notification after another pilot reported a distress call for an experimental airplane that had gone down. Local law enforcement located the wreckage about 15 minutes later.
The pilot and passenger had departed Snohomish County Airport, Paine Field (PAE), Everett, Washington, for a nearby airport. While approaching Whidbey Air Park Airport (W10), a witness observed the airplane turning from base to final leg of the traffic pattern when its nose dropped and it rolled left, entering a steep dive and spinning into trees. The passenger reported that during the base-to-final turn, the left wing was down and "fluttered" like a stall, then the airplane descended like a "lawn dart."
The airplane was equipped with a Garmin VIRB camera mounted behind the pilot's right shoulder, which recorded the flight. Video review showed the pilot initiated a left turn from downwind to base leg at 540 ft mean sea level (msl) and about 77 knots groundspeed. About 6 seconds later, engine power sharply decreased, consistent with a power reduction. The elevator control surfaces indicated the pilot commanded positive pitch. The turn continued; then engine power increased. Shortly thereafter, the left wing dropped rapidly, the nose fell through the horizon, left bank increased, and pine trees filled the field of view. The airplane descended in a left bank about 90° until impacting trees.
No pre-impact anomalies or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation were evident in the footage.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot's most recent FAA medical certificate had expired, and he had not completed BasicMed requirements.
According to the passenger, no flight controls were installed in the rear seat. The airframe and engine logbooks were not located during the investigation. The kit manufacturer's website listed the airplane's stall speed as 58 knots.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage came to rest inverted in wooded, heavy vegetation about 2,000 ft north of the approach end of runway 16. Both wings had separated. Damage to trees was consistent with a steep vertical descent before impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy by the Island County Coroner's Office determined the pilot's cause of death as "multiple blunt trauma injuries." Toxicological testing at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and tested-for drugs.
Probable Cause
None stated in the source.