Vans RV8 accident near Great Falls, Montana, August 5, 2026
On August 5, 2026 at about 4:34 pm local time, a Vans RV8, registered CGFWR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Great Falls, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2026 · about 4:34 pm local time
- Place
- Great Falls, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Vans RV8 UNDESIGNAT
- Registration
- CGFWR · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 5, 2026, at about 1034 mountain daylight time, a Van’s Aircraft RV-8, C-GFWR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Great Falls, Montana. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane departed Villeneuve Airport (CZVL), near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and landed on runway 21 at Great Falls International Airport (KGTF), Great Falls, Montana. During the landing rollout, the airplane veered right. The pilot applied engine power while attempting to regain directional control, and the airplane subsequently ground looped to the right and departed the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing contacted the ground. The airplane came to rest in the grass adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, and fuselage. The pilot reported that the tailwheel assembly had been replaced about two weeks before the accident and that the accident flight was the airplane’s first flight and landing since the replacement. The airplane was retained for examination.
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
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: CZVL Edmonton OF
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from KGTF, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KGTF 052153Z 31008KT 270V340 10SM CLR 28/M01 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP143 T02781011
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.