Amateur-built RV-4 accident near Bainbridge, Ohio, May 26, 1997
On May 26, 1997 at about 3:44 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-4, registered N61CD, was destroyed in an accident near Bainbridge, Ohio (Haas airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane during the initial climb after takeoff. The pilot's physiological conditions was a possible factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1997 · about 3:44 pm local time
- Place
- Bainbridge, Ohio · Haas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-4
- Registration
- N61CD · registry record · serial 1652
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported that they observed the airplane make a normal takeoff. According to them, after starting to climb, the airplane entered a descent and crashed. They reported seeing the airplane in a right-wing low position before it impacted the ground in a nose down attitude. Examination of the airplane and the engine did not reveal any abnormalities. The pilot's last log book entry was dated 11/22/95. On 11/29/95, he had coronary artery bypass surgery. On 5/15/97, the FAA Aeromedical Certification Division denied the pilot a medical certificate 'due to objective evidence of myocardial ischemia by radionuclide scintigraphy.' An autopsy report of the pilot noted 'minimal cardiac tissue' for examination. Toxicology testing detected unspecified levels of metoprolol (a medication which reduces the heart rate response to stress) in the pilot's blood and liver fluid.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 561 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 491 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RZT Chillicothe OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 1,920 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from CMH, 60 miles away
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.
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.