Amateur-built Vans RV-8 accident near Port Orange, Florida, March 3, 2008
On March 3, 2008 at about 2:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Vans RV-8, registered N781RV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Port Orange, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane's inadvertent encounter with a crosswind gust during the landing roll, which resulted in the pilot's loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2008 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Port Orange, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Vans RV-8
- Registration
- N781RV · registry record · serial 80144
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the amateur-built Vans RV-8 landed the tail dragger airplane at his home airport with a 200-pound passenger in the rear seat, but with the center of gravity within limits. Winds were 60 to 70 degrees from the right, at 15, gusting to 20 knots. The pilot elected to use "half flaps" due to the winds, and the airplane touched down at 85 to 90 miles per hour behind a protective row of condominiums and trees. Upon emerging from behind the protective row, the airplane was "suddenly" hit with a strong wind gust that turned it 45 degrees to the right, toward a tree and hangars about 30 yards beyond the tree. The pilot applied left rudder and left brake, but was unable to turn the airplane. The airplane continued off the runway, into a cable barricade and ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot noted that there was a skid mark from the left tire at least 120 feet long, and that he would have been unable to abort the landing from where he lost control.
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 control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wall/barricade › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 45 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7FL6 Port Orange FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.