Amateur-built RV-9A accident near Missoula, Montana, June 27, 2022
On June 27, 2022 at about 4:02 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-9A, registered N12VV, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Missoula, Montana (Missoula Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to activate the auxiliary fuel boost pump, which inhibited a successful engine restart.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2022 · about 4:02 pm local time
- Place
- Missoula, Montana · Missoula Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-9A
- Registration
- N12VV · no longer on the register · serial 93267
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was performing flight testing after accumulating 9 hours of flight time on the recently constructed airplane. He departed with 16 gallons of fuel in the right tank and 8 gallons in the left tank. The pilot then flew for about 70 minutes with the fuel selector on the right tank. As the airplane approached the airport to land, a total loss of engine power occurred, and the pilot switched the fuel selector to the left fuel tank but did not activate the auxiliary fuel pump and his attempt to restart the engine was unsuccessful. The flight characteristics in the airplane’s final moments suggest the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall when it began a steep left turn and rapidly descended into the ground. Postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot departed with about 15 gallons of usable fuel in the selected tank, and then flew for about 70 minutes. The engine was likely consuming fuel at a rate of about 12 gallons per hour (gph), which would have yielded a total fuel consumption of about 14 gallons during this flight. Fuel flow data indicated that the engine-driven fuel pump likely cavitated just before the engine lost power, which was likely caused by an unporting of the right fuel tank pickup due to insufficient fuel in the selected fuel tank. It is likely that the pilot’s improper fuel management resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. Further, the pilot’s failure to activate the auxiliary fuel boost pump likely inhibited the engine restart.
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
- Fuel starvation during enroute defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,350 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 20, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 7, 2022; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming YO-360-EXP278 (piston); 8 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSO Missoula MT at 2:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30/1, 9,501 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from KMSO
Weather report (METAR): KMSO 271553Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/07 A3023 RMK AO2 SLP220 T01890067
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on April 18, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Air Traffic Control Tower Audio - Mso | audio | View Download |
| 4 | Global Positioning System Devices - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Global Positioning System Devices - Attachment 1 (Csv Data for Accident Flight) | zip file | Download |
| 6 | Email Correspondence with Pilot | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Maintenance Logbooks | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Northstar Fuel Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Examination Report, Federal Aviation Administration | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Fuel Consumption Computations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N12VV 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.