Amateur-built RV8 accident near Angel Fire, New Mexico, June 24, 2011
On June 24, 2011 at about 4:54 pm local time, a amateur-built RV8, registered N678VR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Angel Fire, New Mexico (Angel Fire Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2011 · about 4:54 pm local time
- Place
- Angel Fire, New Mexico · Angel Fire Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV8
- Registration
- N678VR · registry record · serial 82700
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during landing the airplane encountered gusty wind and the tailwheel touched down hard. The airplane veered to the right and the pilot applied left rudder, but the airplane continued off the right side of the runway, struck terrain, and came to rest upright. The airplane's fuselage sustained substantial damage. The wind at the airport around the time of the accident was an 80 degree right crosswind at 17 knots gusting to 25 knots. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical anomalies with the airplane and said the accident could have been prevented if he had maintained crosswind aileron control throughout the landing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- 552230 during descent - emergency
- 552300 during descent - emergency
- 552470 during descent - emergency
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 13,100 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 11,039 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 28, 2011
- Medical certificate: class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 210 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 6, 2010; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Eci OX-360-A4B9N (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: SAF Santa Fe NM at 4:20 pm
- Destination: AXX Angel Fire NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 8,900 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 17 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°C, dew point 23°C
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KAXX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11CA423.