Amateur-built RV8 accident near Hampton, Georgia, June 12, 2020
On June 12, 2020 at about 11:50 pm local time, a 2004 amateur-built RV8, registered N553KM, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Hampton, Georgia (Henry County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s excessive maneuvering at low altitude following a partial loss of engine power which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2020 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Hampton, Georgia · Henry County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV8 UNDESIGNAT, built 2004
- Registration
- N553KM · registry record · serial 81553
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the airplane’s initial climb after takeoff, witnesses reported hearing the engine misfire and seeing black smoke trailing the airplane. The pilot performed a 180° turn and approached the departure runway in the opposite direction and overflew the airport environment. The airplane subsequently entered a 180° turn for landing on the departure runway and impacted terrain in a flat attitude at the approach end of the runway. The landing gear and cockpit canopy separated, and the wings and the fuselage were substantially damaged. Video of the accident captured the airplane in steep pitch and roll attitudes at low altitude. A detailed postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the fuel nozzle on the No. 2 cylinder was blocked and the spark plugs (top and bottom) revealed signatures consistent with "rich" mixtures in the Nos. 1 and 4 cylinders and "lean" mixtures in the Nos. 2 and 3 cylinders. The blocked fuel nozzle likely resulted in the partial loss of engine power.
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 (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,500 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,894.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 10, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jba IO-360-B1XC3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HMP Hampton GA
- Destination: HMP Hampton GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from K6A2, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on June 15, 2022. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 Memorandum for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Video File | MOV file | Download |
| 4 | Device Download Factual Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Non-volatile Memory Data | data file | Download |
| 6 | Condition Inspection | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | FAA Inspector's Statement Engine Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 3 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.