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Atlas / NTSB / WPR20CA200

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event WPR20CA200

2020-06-29 McMinnville, Oregon, United States Airport · MMV None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N998HG

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

VAN'S AIRCRAFT RV-8

Year of manufacture

2012 · 8 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING IO-360-M1B (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20120906

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S ADF111

Registrant of record

EICHER BRUCE R TRUSTEE

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff which resulted in a collision with a runway marker.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was departing with a gusting, left-quartering headwind. During the takeoff the airplane veered left and struck a runway marker, which jammed the left aileron. The airplane then banked to the right and the right wingtip struck the runway. The pilot then landed the airplane in a field off the side of the runway. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. 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).

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_WPR20CA200.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.