Amateur-built VANS RV-10 accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, December 31, 2012
On December 31, 2012 at about 8:30 pm local time, a amateur-built VANS RV-10, registered N104BK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Las Vegas, Nevada (North Las Vegas Airport). 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
A missing elevator control assembly attachment bolt, which rendered the elevator control system ineffective and resulted in a loss of pitch control, and the pilot’s incorrect installation of the elevator control assembly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2012 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · North Las Vegas Airport · 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-10
- Registration
- N104BK · registry record · serial 40125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who was also the owner and builder of the airplane, reported that, while on short final, he lost elevator control and was unable to control the airplane's pitch. The pilot continued the landing, but he was unable to flare the airplane, which resulted in a hard landing. The airplane bounced once and then came back down on its nose. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the attachment bolt for the elevator control assembly was missing. The airplane manufacturer's maintenance instructions called for two washers and an elastic stop nut to secure the elevator assembly attachment bolt. It is likely that the pilot did not properly install or secure the hardware used to attach the bolt, which allowed it to release in flight and rendered the elevator control system ineffective and led to the subsequent loss of pitch control. The airplane had accumulated a total time of 48 hours.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,384 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 2,380 as pilot in command; 2,247 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 11, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 17, 2012; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNO Reno NV at 6:30 pm
- Destination: VGT Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30L, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:37 pm from VGT
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.