Amateur-built VANS RV-7A accident near Warrenton, Virginia, September 13, 2022
On September 13, 2022 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2021 amateur-built VANS RV-7A, registered N40WB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Warrenton, Virginia. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane could not be examined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 2022 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Warrenton, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VANS RV-7A, built 2021
- Registration
- N40WB · registry record · serial 71857
- 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, while in cruise at 2,500 ft mean sea level during a cross-country flight, the engine started to “sputter and surge” followed rapidly by a total loss of power. The pilot completed the emergency checklist by switching fuel tanks, turning on the fuel boost pump, and richening the mixture, but was unsuccessful in his multiple attempts to regain power; he performed a forced landing to a pond due to the densely populated area around him. The airplane impacted the water left-wing-low and was substantially damaged. The wreckage was discarded before it could be further examined; therefore, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,449.7 hours in all; 63.1 in this make and model; 23.1 in the last 90 days; 21.7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 8, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 63.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 7, 2022; 21.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 63 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: THV York PA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: EZF Fredericksburg VA
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from HWY, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KHWY 132115Z AUTO 24003KT 10SM CLR 27/11 A2982 RMK AO2 T02710114
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 30, 2024. 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 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records Excerpt | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record_salvage | PDF, 1 page | 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.