Amateur-built VANS RV-4 accident near Natchez, Mississippi, April 12, 2000
On April 12, 2000 at about 3:15 pm local time, a amateur-built VANS RV-4, registered N123SC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Natchez, Mississippi. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an inadvertent stall at too low altitude to allow recovery. Factors in this accident were fog and low ceilings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2000 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Natchez, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VANS RV-4
- Registration
- N123SC · registry record · serial 4563
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot told investigators that he and his friend were originally en route to Lakeland, Florida, when his airplane developed engine problems. He landed and over the next 3 days the engine was repaired. When his friend returned they both departed for Texas. They did not filed a flight plan, nor was a weather briefing obtained. About 105 nautical miles into the flight, they encountered fog and low ceilings. They performed a 180 degree turn and reversed directions. The pilot of N123SC, stated he lost control of the aircraft as he began his turn behind the lead aircraft. He tried to regain control of the airplane, but all control inputs failed to control the aircraft. The next thing he saw, was the trees and ground coming up towards him. Examination of the wreckage revealed, the control stick was actuated fore and aft, left and right with positive input to all control surfaces that were still intact on the aircraft. It was the opinion of the FAA inspector, '...that weather, fog, low ceilings, lack of instrumentation and the pilot flying in marginally VFR to IFR weather without an instrument rating, possibly contributed to a loss of control, secondarily to some buffeting by the lead aircraft, and then possibly an accelerated stall. The reported weather at Natchez-Adams Airport (HEZ), located about 15 miles west of the crash site was: lowest ceiling: 200 overcast, visibility: 2 1/2 miles, temperature 63 degrees F, dew point: 63 degrees F, wind from 020 degrees, at 6 knots, and the altimeter 30.16 inHg.
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
- Flight time: 683 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 641 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 55 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HSA Bay Saint Louis MS at 1:10 pm
- Destination: HEZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from HEZ, 15 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA00LA130.