Amateur-built RV-8 accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 20, 2019
On July 20, 2019 at about 2:20 pm local time, a 2017 amateur-built RV-8, registered N143MS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Wittman Regional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate spacing from the lead airplane while landing following revised landing instructions, which necessitated that the pilot conduct an improper landing flare and resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2019 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Wittman Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-8, built 2017
- Registration
- N143MS · registry record · serial 83140
- 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 he was the second airplane in a flight of two and had been instructed by the air traffic controller to land on the orange dot on the runway (dots were used to facilitate multiple landings for the fly-in). During the descending turn from the base leg to the final leg, the pilot saw a third airplane. The third airplane appeared to be landing straight-in to the same runway. The air traffic controller instructed the flight of two to land further down the runway, on the green dot, to accommodate the third airplane. As the pilot adjusted the engine power and descent rate for the new landing point, he noted that the closure rate with the lead airplane in his flight of two had increased and that the lead airplane decelerated quickly as it landed. The pilot increased the pitch to overfly and avoid a collision with the lead airplane. After he confirmed that he was past the lead airplane, he adjusted the pitch and engine power to land, but the airplane landed hard. During the landing, the airplane settled left wing down and veered left off the runway, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Air traffic event during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Operating environment › Air traffic/operating proc › Traffic congestion › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,445 hours in all; 315 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 1,350 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 22, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 315 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 24, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-390-EXP (piston); 315 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KDKB De Kalb IL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 6,179 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KOSH, 1 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
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN19CA227.