Accident Overview
On February 28, 2026, at approximately 1005 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built Vans Aircraft RV-8, registration N80AR, sustained substantial damage when it crashed near Hurricane, Utah. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight Details
According to pilot-rated witnesses, the accident airplane was participating in a formation flying event staged out of Saint George Regional Airport (SGU) in Saint George, Utah. It was flying as the number two position in a flight of five aircraft. The witnesses reported that the formation was flying at about 500 ft above ground level (agl) with an airspeed of approximately 130 mph, maintaining an extended trail formation with spacing of about 800 to 1,000 ft between airplanes.
Witness Observations
Pilots flying in trail of the accident airplane observed it pitch upward and then roll to the left. The witnesses stated that the pilot appeared to attempt a recovery from the roll, and the airplane was in a wings-level attitude before it impacted the terrain.
Accident Site Examination
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted gradual up sloping desert terrain on a magnetic heading of 200° at an elevation of 4,538 ft mean sea level. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a ground scar measuring about 30 ft in length and 15 ft wide, which contained propeller blades, engine cowling, and fragments of the rudder. The debris path extended approximately 247 ft in length and 70 ft in width, oriented on a heading of about 200° magnetic from the FIPC to the main wreckage.
A second ground disturbance, approximately 6 ft by 4 ft, was located about 176 ft from the FIPC and contained various non-secured items from inside the airplane. A third ground disturbance, consisting of an area of displaced dirt, was observed about 199 ft from the FIPC and extended to the main wreckage.
The fuselage came to rest inverted on a heading of about 175° magnetic. The instrument panel, engine, and engine mount were located in an upright position. All major structural components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.