Amateur-built RV8 accident near Tomball, Texas, May 20, 2007
On May 20, 2007 at about 1:00 pm local time, a amateur-built RV8, registered N188LC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tomball, Texas (David Wayne Hooks Memorial airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The deflated right main landing gear tire, which resulted in a loss of control during the landing roll and a nose over. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's decision to operate the airplane without having the leaking tire inspected.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 2007 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tomball, Texas · David Wayne Hooks Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV8
- Registration
- N188LC · registry record · serial 82306
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the commercial pilot, the preflight inspection revealed a low right tire with 20 pounds of pressure. He serviced the tire prior to the test flight to 35 pounds pressure; however, following a normal, soft landing about 25 minutes later, the airplane veered to the right. He was unable to control the airplane, and it exited the right side of the runway, ground-looped, and nosed over. The pilot was able to exit unassisted through the shattered canopy. The pilot reported that a postaccident inspection disclosed that the right tire was completely flat, and that the inner tube was leaking.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 514 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 434 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Superior Air Parts XP-IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DWH Houston TX at 12:40 pm
- Destination: DWH Tomball TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17R, 7,009 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from DWH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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 DFW07CA122.