Event ERA21FA135

Factual narrative

On February 22, 2021, about 1756 central standard time, an experimental, amateur-built Vans RV-7A airplane, N383DB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Mayfield Graves County Airport (M25), Mayfield, Kentucky. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. A witness at M25 stated the airplane was conducting touch-and-go landings on runway 1. Another witness traveling eastbound on a nearby interstate saw the airplane climbing and reported that, “as the airplane went higher…the tail dropped, and the plane went into a back flip. This witness then observed the airplane come out of the “flip” and descend “nose first” toward the ground. The airplane subsequently impacted an open field located about 1,011 ft north of the airport. Another witness reported that he observed the airplane takeoff and noted that it was climbing at a high angle of attack. The wreckage was confined to a small area. All airplane components were accounted for at the accident site, and flight control continuity was confirmed for all control surfaces. The wings exhibited symmetrical accordion-type crushing damage and remained attached to the fuselage. Both wing fuel tanks were breached, and both fuel main caps were found in place. The empennage, main landing gear, and all control surfaces also remained attached to the fuselage. The engine and nose landing gear separated from the forward fuselage. The engine was rotated by hand at the accessory gear section, and crankshaft continuity was confirmed. Thumb compression was attained on all cylinders. The engine-driven fuel pump contained 100 low-lead aviation fuel and produced suction and pressure when activated by hand. The left magneto was impact damaged and was not able to be rotated. The right magneto produced spark on all towers. The two-bladed propeller was found fractured from the engine due to impact forces. One blade exhibited rearward bending and leading-edge gouges, and the other blade exhibited Sbending. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The private pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings in the experimental, amateur-built airplane. A witness stated that, during the departure climb, “as the airplane went higher…the tail dropped, and the plane went into a back flip.” The witness then observed the airplane come out of the “flip” and descend “nose first” toward the ground. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain north of the departure airport. Another witness reported that he observed the airplane climbing at a high angle of attack during the takeoff. Postaccident examination of the accident site revealed that the wreckage was confined to a small area, which was consistent with a near-vertical impact. The wings showed symmetrical accordion-like crushing damage. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies. According to the available evidence for this accident, the pilot likely exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack and entered an aerodynamic stall, resulting in the pilot’s loss of airplane control and the airplane’s subsequent impact with terrain. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained