Amateur-built RV-4 accident near Oregonia, Ohio, October 16, 2016
On October 16, 2016 at about 9:40 pm local time, a 1989 amateur-built RV-4, registered N2626C, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Oregonia, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to fly at a low altitude, which resulted in the collision with a zipline.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 2016 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Oregonia, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-4, built 1989
- Registration
- N2626C · registry record · serial 1775
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and passenger in the experimental, amateur-built airplane were seen flying at low altitude by several witnesses in various locations before the accident. The witnesses reported the engine was operating before the airplane descended into trees. Postaccident examination of the airplane, wreckage path, and a nearby zipline revealed damage consistent with the outboard section of the right wing having contacted the 1/2-inch galvanized zipline cable. There were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane or engine. The cable ran between wooden platforms on the east and west sides of a river about 170 ft above ground level. The location of the platforms in wooded areas and the fact that the cable was unmarked likely made the zipline difficult to see. Witness statements and the accident scenario indicate the pilot operated the airplane at extremely low altitudes throughout the flight. Toxicological testing of the pilot was positive for ethanol and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the primary psychoactive substance in marijuana). The blood level of ethanol was below the regulatory limit; however, pilots may be impaired below this threshold. The finding of THC indicated that the pilot had used marijuana sometime before the accident; however, since there is no accepted relationship between blood levels and degree of impairment, whether the impairing effects of THC contributed to the accident could not be determined.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Ability to respond/compensate
- Personnel issues › Physical › Health/Fitness › Use of medication/drugs › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Health/Fitness › Use of alcohol › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Last flight review: September 29, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Wilmington OH at 9:08 pm
- Destination: PVT Wilmington OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from MGY, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on March 27, 2018. 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 | Wreckage Examination | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Medical Factual Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statements | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Zipline Inspection Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Google Earth Images | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Reports | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photos | PDF, 16 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.