History of Flight
On June 2, 2023, about 0907 central daylight time, a Van's Aircraft RV-7, N977RV, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Gibbon, Nebraska. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot filed an instrument-flight-rules (IFR) flight plan and departed on a multi-leg cross-country flight from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC), Denver, Colorado, at 0710 mountain daylight time, bound for Red Oak Municipal Airport (RDK), Red Oak, Iowa. Before departure, the pilot obtained a standard weather briefing that included thunderstorms, convective SIGMETs, and AIRMETs for icing conditions.
ADS-B data and ATC communications indicate that about 0900 central daylight time, the FAA Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center controller advised the pilot of heavy precipitation ahead. The pilot acknowledged. About 4 minutes later, the pilot requested a lower altitude due to ice accumulation. ATC granted a block altitude between 11,000 and 15,000 ft msl. The pilot began a descent from about 15,000 ft. About 40 seconds later, ATC informed the pilot he could descend below 11,000 ft if needed, and the pilot acknowledged with “roger.” Immediately after, ATC advised that if turning west, there was extreme precipitation extending to the southwest. The pilot did not respond, and further ATC attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.
Flight track data showed that shortly after the last transmission, the pilot began a gradual right turn to the west and then spiraled downward. A witness reported seeing the airplane pass from west to east, then make a sharp right turn to the southwest toward Interstate 80, while “making a lot of power” and “accelerating excessively.” A loud bang was heard shortly after. Dashboard camera footage from a car on Interstate 80 captured the airplane descending nose-down. The airplane impacted an open grassy area surrounded by trees about 260 ft south of Interstate 80.
Data from the iFly Electronic Flight bag application on an iPad recovered from the airplane provided GPS altitude and groundspeed. Airspeeds were estimated from ADS-B data and atmospheric conditions. At 09:06:52, maximum airspeed was about 170 KCAS and 204 KTAS before ADS-B data became unreliable. The computed maximum vertical airspeed at the last reliable pressure altitude (7,900 ft msl) at 09:07:00 was about 286 KTAS. In the final 2 minutes, the airplane pitched between 10° above and -60° below the horizon and rolled to the right with bank angles between 10° and 120°.
Personnel Information
The pilot was instrument current, having completed 15 instrument approaches in the previous 5 months, including 2 with a flight instructor the day before the accident. The flight instructor stated the pilot wanted to be “prepared and instrument current” before the trip, had limited recent actual instrument flying experience, but took safety seriously. According to the pilot's logbook, he had about 27 hours of actual instrument flight experience, with the last actual instrument flight in August 2022.
On April 21, 2023, the pilot obtained an FAA third-class medical certificate with a limitation to wear corrective lenses while flying. It is unknown whether he was wearing them at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Van's Aircraft RV-7, N977RV. The transponder/altimeter/static system had undergone biennial certification in April 2023. The Vne listed in the pilot operating handbook for the RV-7 was 210 knots.
Meteorological Information
WSR-88D Level-II base reflectivity imagery from the Hastings, Nebraska, site (UEX) showed that the end of the airplane's flight path coincided with a cell of light-to-extreme reflectivity. No lightning activity was detected within 10 miles of the accident location between 0855 and 0910. A High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model sounding for near the accident site at 0900 indicated scattered to overcast clouds between 8,000 and above 17,000 ft msl, a freezing level at 12,575 ft, and a trace of light rime icing at about 12,700 ft. No significant turbulence was noted. Wind near 10,000 ft was from the south at about 20 knots.
At 0855, Convective SIGMET 65C was issued, active for the accident location until 1055, warning of embedded thunderstorms with tops to 34,000 ft, moving from 180° at 20 knots. The pilot's weather briefing included this information along with low visibility and ice.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted an open grassy area surrounded by trees about 260 ft south of Interstate 80 near Gibbon, Nebraska, at an elevation of 2,070 ft msl. The airplane traveled about 100 ft from the impact site to the main wreckage. The rudder and vertical stabilizer separated, with the rudder found in three pieces displaying a jagged sawtooth appearance before the impact site. The vertical stabilizer was located about 55 ft northeast of the impact site.
Ground scarring was consistent with nose, wing, and main landing gear impact. The propeller was embedded at the impact site; both blades remained attached at the hub but were twisted with chordwise scratching and bending. The engine and main landing gear assembly separated and were found about 40 ft after the impact site. The debris field contained fragmented engine components, instrument panel, windshield, and multiple pieces of fiberglass skin. The main wreckage came to rest upright on a 266° heading, consisting of the fuselage, wings, and horizontal stabilizer. The debris field was generally aligned on a 257° heading.
Both wings remained attached to the fuselage with crushed leading edges. The right aileron and flap remained attached, with broken pushrods traceable to the control stick. The left aileron was impact-separated and found about 15 ft south of the main wreckage. Control continuity to the flap could not be determined due to impact damage. The fuel system and engine were crushed, fragmented, and cracked, preventing functional testing.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot was performed at the Douglas County Morgue, Nebraska, on June 5, 2023. The cause of death was listed as undetermined due to the amount of remains recovered. The FAA Forensic Science Laboratory performed toxicological testing; caffeine and ethanol (in the presence of decomposition) were detected.