Vans Aircraft INC RV-12IS accident near Scappoose, Oregon, July 2, 2024
On July 2, 2024 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 2023 Vans Aircraft INC RV-12IS, registered N725FA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Scappoose, Oregon (Scappoose airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to remove the seat belt used as a flight control lock from the right control stick before takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control, an aerodynamic stall, and a collision with terrain during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the pilot to adequately check the flight controls before takeoff to ensure they were able to move without restraint.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2024 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Scappoose, Oregon · Scappoose · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Vans Aircraft INC RV-12IS, built 2023
- Registration
- N725FA · registry record · serial 12136
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed after a quick stop during a cross-country flight. Flight data from the avionics unit installed in the airplane revealed that on takeoff, the airplane lifted off the ground and reached a maximum altitude of about 81 ft above ground level (agl). After liftoff, the airplane pitched up to a maximum angle of about 43° nose up and continuously rolled left, ultimately reaching a maximum of 60° of bank. The airplane’s pitch decreased rapidly over the next several seconds to 33° nose down, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. The airplane’s stall warning system activated 3 seconds before liftoff and deactivated about 1 second before impact. The airplane was airborne for about a total of 14 seconds before impacting terrain. Witnesses at the airport reported that they observed the airplane in a hard left-banked turn, in a nose-down attitude, until it impacted terrain. A review of pictures taken after the accident revealed that the right seat belt was looped around the right control stick, and it was secured to the full left and aft position. Flight data, impact damage around the control stick, and witnesses’ statements were all consistent with the right seat’s control stick being locked in the full left and aft position during the takeoff. It is likely that the pilot secured the right control stick with the seat belt acting as a flight control lock during his stop at the airport and failed to check that it was removed before takeoff. According to the pilot’s operating handbook for the accident airplane, the Before Takeoff Run-Up checklist calls for the flight controls to be checked. The recorded flight data did not reveal evidence of an engine run-up before takeoff, indicating that the pilot did not complete this checklist, and so did not benefit from the methodical self-assessment that the checklist provides. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Gust lock or damper › Unintentional use/operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 153.4 hours in all; 24.6 in this make and model; 100.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 11, 2024
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,102.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 13, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 IS (piston); 1,191 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1W1 Camas WA at 7:27 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KSPB
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSPB 021953Z AUTO 08003KT 10SM BKN040 A3023 RMK AO2 SLPNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR24LA228.