This record has been locked for editing.
| Date: | Sunday 10 July 2005 |
| Time: | 10:52 |
| Type: |  Van's RV-8 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N899RM |
| MSN: | 80235 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Lewes, DE -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Georgetown, DE (GED) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The accident airplanes were part of a group of six experimental airplanes practicing a formation flight routine for an upcoming airshow. The airplanes had just completed a "six ship opposing" maneuver, in which the airplanes flew towards each other in two groups of three airplanes. The group containing the accident airplanes was assembled with a lead airplane in front (the RV-8 airplane) and two additional airplanes aligned behind and to each side of the lead (in a "triangle" formation). The Long EZ was the airplane behind and to the right of the RV-8. The "six ship opposing" maneuver was performed without any abnormality, and approximately 3 seconds later, the Long EZ and lead RV-8 collided. Both aircraft subsequently impacted the water beneath them. Examination of several videotapes and a digital photograph revealed that the Long EZ airplane was above the RV-8 and out of position in the moments prior to the collision. No pre-impact mechanical deficiencies were noted with either airplane.
Probable Cause: The Long EZ pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the RV-8 airplane, which resulted in a mid-air collision during a formation flight.
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20050726X01098&key=1
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 04-Jul-2014 14:42 | harro | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, ] |
| 17-Nov-2016 20:11 | junior sjc | Updated [Nature, Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 06-Dec-2017 10:43 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Source, Narrative, ] |
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