Amateur-built VANS RV8 accident near Bonne Terre, Missouri, May 16, 2014
On May 16, 2014 at about 2:15 pm local time, a 2005 amateur-built VANS RV8, registered N627CS, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Bonne Terre, Missouri (Bonne Terre Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control on takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2014 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Bonne Terre, Missouri · Bonne Terre Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VANS RV8 UNDESIGNAT, built 2005
- Registration
- N627CS · no longer on the register · serial 80881
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot said that during the takeoff roll in his tail wheel-equipped airplane, he lifted the tail off the ground when the airplane was about 50 feet down the runway. The airplane then made a sudden turn to the left and veered off the runway. The left wing struck the ground and the airplane flipped over,which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, the vertical stabilizer and an engine mount. The pilot reported the wind was blowing about 5 knots directly down the runway and there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane or the engine.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 175 hours in all; 52 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 1BT Bonne Terre MO at 2:15 pm
- Destination: 1BT Bonne Terre MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 2,900 ft by 49 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on May 29, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.