Amateur-built RV-8 accident near Bennettsville, South Carolina, March 28, 2025
On March 28, 2025 at about 12:45 pm local time, a 1999 amateur-built RV-8, registered N8EV, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Bennettsville, South Carolina (Marlboro County Jetport 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 inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 2025 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bennettsville, South Carolina · Marlboro County Jetport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-8, built 1999
- Registration
- N8EV · registry record · serial 80568
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the pilot prepared for the accident flight he observed an unquantified amount of fuel in the airplane’s fuel tanks and assumed that the airplane had been fully refueled after his request to the airport fuel provider 5 days prior. He subsequently reset the airplane’s fuel totalizer to indicate full fuel tanks and departed. About 1.5 hours into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of about 8,000 ft. mean sea level, the airplane’s engine lost power completely. He diverted towards a nearby airport and made a series of descending turns to lose altitude. When he made his turn to a 1-mile final approach to the runway, he had lost too much altitude and made a forced landing in a field ¼-mile off the approach end of the runway. The left and right main landing gear separated from the fuselage during the landing and the fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks were absent of fuel. The examination otherwise found no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. According to the fuel provider at the departure airport, they had no record indicating that the airplane had been serviced with fuel prior to the accident pilot’s departure. Given this information, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel exhaustion.
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 (cruise)
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Landing area undershoot during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 674 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 10.9 in the last 90 days; 6.9 in the last 30 days; 565.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 194.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 20, 2025; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 A1A (piston); 208 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CPK Chesapeake VA at 11:22 am
- Destination: CDN Camden SC
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.38 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 am from BBP
Weather report (METAR): KBBP 281235Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 07/07 A3038 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 5 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – View of Airplane as Found (FAA)
Photo 2 – View of Airplane Left Fuselage and Inboard Left Wing (FAA)
Photo 3 – View of Damage to Inboard Right Wing (FAA)
Photo 4 – View of Left Fuel Tank Contents (FAA)
Photo 5 - View of Right Fuel Tank Contents (FAA)The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on November 6, 2025. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot's Interview Memorandum for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FBO Account Manager's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 6 pages · our copy | 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.