Amateur-built RV-8 accident near Valera, Texas, July 6, 2008
On July 6, 2008 at about 1:00 am local time, a amateur-built RV-8, registered N184KS, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Valera, Texas (Coleman Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a forced landing, which led to an aerodynamic stall, following a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's mismanagement of fuel and the low altitude at which the power loss occurred.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2008 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Valera, Texas · Coleman Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-8
- Registration
- N184KS · no longer on the register · serial 80874
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing low passes over a private ranch. The airplane was fueled the day before the accident with 17.4 gallons of fuel and had a 42-gallon fuel capacity. The pilot had commented to his wife prior to the accident that he didn't want a full fuel load for the flyover. After the pilot refueled, he flew the airplane for at least an hour that day and for an undetermined amount of time the day of the flyover. The pilot planned for and flew three low-altitude passes, ending each pass with a pull-up. During the pull-up from the third pass, the airplane was seen to roll to the left followed by a steep dive into a car parking area. The airplane turned approximately 270 degrees from the start of the pull-up until it impacted the ground. An examination of the airplane showed no evidence of aviation fuel at the accident site, in the airplane's fuel tanks, or in the engine fuel lines. The propeller and engine case damage was consistent with that of an engine not developing power at impact. The engine manual states that the engine burn rate is approximately 9.5 gallons per hour in economy cruise flight and 12.3 gallons per hour in performance cruise flight.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during prior to flight
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 635 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 5, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCOM Coleman TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.