ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 270445
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| Date: | Saturday 11 December 2021 |
| Time: | 12:30 |
| Type: |  Van’s RV-3 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N9YY |
| MSN: | 11267 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1996 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-235 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Bermuda Dunes Airport (UDD/KUDD), Palm Springs, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Palm Springs-Bermuda Dunes Airport, CA (UDD/KUDD) |
| Palm Springs-Bermuda Dunes Airport, CA (UDD/KUDD) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On December 11, 2021, about 1230 Pacific standard time, an experimental, amateur-built RV-3 airplane, N9YY, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Bermuda Dunes, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot departed on a local flight in the experimental, amateur-built airplane. Flight track information indicated that the airplane departed and climbed to a maximum altitude of about 712 ft above ground level. One witness saw the airplane and described the engine noise as loud. As the airplane turned toward her location, she saw that the propeller blades were spinning slower than she thought they should. Another witness, who was closer to the accident site, saw the airplane at low altitude but could not hear the engine noise. A third witness captured video showing the airplane first in level flight, then its pitch attitude increased, and the airplane entered a right bank. The right bank continued past 90° as the airplane entered a nose-low descent.
The airplane impacted a palm tree about 35 ft agl about 3 minutes after takeoff and came to rest upright in the driveway of a private residence. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation; however, the fuel shutoff valve was found in an intermediate position that restricted fuel flow about 50%. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot’s improper positioning of the fuel shutoff valve resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power during the takeoff climb as evidenced by the absence of engine noise in the witness video. The pilot subsequently exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, resulting in an aerodynamic stall/spin and loss of control.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s improper positioning of the fuel shutoff valve, which resulted in a loss of engine power, and the pilot’s subsequent exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://kesq.com/news/2021/12/11/small-plane-crashes-into-neighborhood-in-bermuda-dunes/
https://kesq.com/news/2021/12/12/friends-and-family-mourning-death-of-pilot-who-crash-landed-plane-in-bermuda-dunes-neighborhood/
NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=9YY
Location
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Dec-2021 21:29 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 12-Dec-2021 01:11 | Geno | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Dec-2021 01:57 | RobertMB | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Dec-2021 02:20 | johnwg | Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 13-Dec-2021 01:54 | johnwg | Updated [Total fatalities, Narrative] |
| 13-Dec-2021 06:23 | RobertMB | Updated [Phase] |
| 13-Dec-2021 19:17 | Captain Adam | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Dec-2021 19:19 | Captain Adam | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 14-Dec-2021 04:38 | RobertMB | Updated [Narrative] |
| 14-Dec-2021 04:40 | RobertMB | Updated [Narrative] |
| 14-Dec-2021 17:22 | johnwg | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Dec-2021 11:45 | Anon. | Updated [Source] |
| 18-Jan-2022 00:22 | Captain Adam | Updated [Phase, Source, Narrative, Category] |
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