Amateur-built RV-8 accident near Van, Texas, October 6, 2003
On October 6, 2003 at about 5:50 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-8, registered N27JW, was destroyed in an accident near Van, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation. Contributing factors were the low ceilings, rain, and fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 2003 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Van, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-8
- Registration
- N27JW · registry record · serial RJC02
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident airplane assumed the number two position of a four airplane formation flight that departed toward Tyler, Texas and "encountered an unreported layer of clouds at approximately 1,000 feet msl." The formation flight climbed through a "hole" on top of the cloud layer, leveling off at 3,300 msl. The lead pilot reported the visibility to be approximately 5 to 7 miles with a "misty, milky white undefined layer above. The broken layer below was "well defined with lots of holes to see the ground." Northwest of Tyler, Texas, and "the undefined layer above started to come down toward the broken layer below." The formation flight turned to the right, heading northeast, then north, while still between the layers. The formation flight initiated a shallow climb "through the misty white undefined layer," turning to the west, with an "in-flight visibility of approximately five miles." The formation flight "popped through an unseen layer of clouds, then back into the same white misty mass with decent visibility." The formation flight entered "another unseen layer of thick clouds and heavy rain at 5,500 feet msl. Subsequently, the pilot of airplane number two called lost sight, followed quickly by the pilot of airplane number four. The lead pilot told both pilots to "go lost wingman as they briefed the previous day, get on the attitude indicator, and start a shallow descent." Several witnesses observed the airplane flying overhead with the "wings fluttering" and then suddenly "nose diving" into the ground. One witness reported the weather at the time of the accident to be "very low clouds, poor visibility, and a heavy rain shower that started approximately 10 minutes after the time of the accident." Weather reports obtained from Tyler, Texas reported visibility of 6 statute miles, cloud ceilings of 2,900 feet agl deteriorating to visibility of 1 1/2 statute miles and 1,000 feet broken. Doppler weather radar images indicated very strong weather echoes were present in the vicinity of Van, Texas, near the time of the accident. The non-instrument rated private pilot of airplane number two had accumulated a total of 746-hours total time, of which 18 hours were in the accident make/model aircraft.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 747 hours in all; 18 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4F4 Gilmer TX at 5:40 pm
- Destination: GTU Georgetown TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from TYR, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.