Fatal Accident Involving a Van's Aircraft RV-8 in Saint-Ambroix (F-WLFV)

Flight Details and Accident Sequence On September 27, 2016, at approximately 17:00 local time, a Van's Aircraft RV-8, registration F-WLFV, was involved in a fatal accident near Saint-Ambroix, France. The aircraft was a two-seat, tandem, amateur-built airplane used for a private general aviation test flight. Both the pilot and the passenger on board were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed. The flight was conducted as part of pre-certification test flights for a restricted airworthiness certificate. During the flight, the pilot performed several barrel rolls. After landing, the passenger, an aircraft mechanic, modified the engine's ventilation circuit to address excessive cylinder temperatures. On the second flight, the aircraft departed from runway 24 at Issoudun - Le Fay. Witnesses observed the aircraft making at least two low-altitude passes near a residence before the pilot initiated a left turn of approximately 180 degrees. The aircraft entered a slight descent before attempting a vertical climb, during which its speed decreased to zero. The aircraft inverted while rotating slightly around its longitudinal axis and fell to the ground. The pilot recovered the aircraft at a few meters altitude, but it subsequently collided with a haystack storage site. A rapid fire broke out, preventing rescue of the occupants.