Vans Aircraft Inc RV-8A accident near Mineral Point, Wisconsin, July 17, 2026
On July 17, 2026 at about 5:48 pm local time, a 2001 Vans Aircraft Inc RV-8A, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N22SZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Mineral Point, Wisconsin (Iowa County 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2026 · about 5:48 pm local time
- Place
- Mineral Point, Wisconsin · Iowa County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Vans Aircraft Inc RV-8A, built 2001, amateur-built · all RV-8As on the register
- Registration
- N22SZ · registry record · serial 81381
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 17, 2026, at 1748 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Vans Aircraft Inc RV-8A, N22SZ, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The commercial pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that while en route to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, he stopped at Iowa County Airport, Mineral Point (MRJ), Wisconsin, for fuel and to wait for visual flight conditions to improve at the destination airport. He then departed MRJ, and after climbing to 9,000 ft mean sea level, he switched fuel tanks and a “moment or so” later, the engine lost power. He then initiated a return to MRJ, during which he attempted several engine restarts. The engine restarted during the descent to MRJ, then lost power, restarted again, and continued to operate for the remainder flight to and taxi at MRJ. After the flight, the pilot stated that he talked to six or eight pilots at MRJ, two of which were mechanics, and a mechanic based at MRJ, about the loss of engine power that he had experienced. The group discussed mechanical and electrical fuel pump failures, carburetor icing, vapor lock, and test flying the airplane. On the following day, the pilot attempted a test flight of the airplane from MRJ. The pilot stated that the engine start for the test flight was “very clean normal start,” there were no hot start or fuel vapor problems, and the engine run-up was normal. He said that shortly after takeoff and early in the climb, the airplane engine began to run rough, and he decided to end the test flight and return to the airport. While turning left and climbing into the airport traffic pattern, the engine lost power. The pilot then decided to turn and land the airplane in the opposite direction since there was no engine power to fly an airport traffic pattern. During the turn, the engine started again but later lost power, and the airplane was high and fast. The pilot performed a forced landing on runway 11 where it impacted the runway surface. The airplane sustained substantial to both wings, the engine firewall, and an engine mount. The airplane was retained for further examination.
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 engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 704.6 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 19, 2026
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 12:35 pm from PVB, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 CEN26LA258.