Amateur-built RV-9A accident near Prineville, Oregon, January 11, 2015
On January 11, 2015 at about 10:27 pm local time, a 2007 amateur-built RV-9A, registered N8080S, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Prineville, Oregon (Prineville 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
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during the climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 11, 2015 · about 10:27 pm local time
- Place
- Prineville, Oregon · Prineville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-9A, built 2007
- Registration
- N8080S · no longer on the register · serial 90836
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness observed the private pilot departing in his experimental, amateur-built airplane. He stated that, after rotation, the airplane climbed in a nose-high attitude and drifted left of the runway centerline. Upon reaching an altitude about 1,000 ft above ground level, the airplane's right wing dipped, and the airplane descended in a right spin and impacted a parallel taxiway. The airplane was mostly consumed by a postcrash fire. Subsequent examination revealed that the canopy had been ejected clear of the airframe on impact, and the canopy lock appeared in the open position. The elevator trim tab was found in the nose-up trim position; however, due to the severity of the fire and impact damage, the reason for or relevance of these findings could not be determined. Although the pilot was being treated for several medical conditions that he had not reported to the Federal Aviation Administration, it is unlikely that the conditions or their treatment contributed to the circumstances of this accident.
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 in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 960 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Eggenfellner Subaru H6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: S39 Prineville OR at 10:26 pm
- Destination: Bend OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,054 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from KS39
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N8080S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.