Vans Safety Record

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during a visual approach in dark night conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent flight experience at night.

The failure of the air traffic controller to provide hazardous weather information to the pilot, resulting in the flight’s encounter with strong updraft conditions, an inflight loss of airplane control, and an in-flight breakup. Contributing was the pilot’s decision to initiate a flight into an area under the influence of a tropical storm, with forecast rain showers and thunderstorms, which increased the potential for an encounter with significant convective weather

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at too low of an altitude to recover.

The pilot's failure to remove the seat belt used as a flight control lock from the aft cockpit control stick before takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control during takeoff and collision with terrain.

The pilot’s inadequate planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power during the initial climb. Also causal was the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while attempting to return to the runway after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin, loss of control, and impact with terrain.

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the landing approach, which resulted in a loss of control and a subsequent aerodynamic stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to fly the airplane in a configuration for which it was not certificated and in which the flight characteristics were not known.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane following an intermittent loss of engine power during cruise flight that resulted in him impacting trees. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering in the airport traffic pattern, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of control at an altitude too low for recovery.

A partial loss of engine power during initial climb for undetermined reasons, and pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a turn back to the runway, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, and subsequent aerodynamic stall.

The pilot's loss of attitude orientation while maneuvering at low altitude in dark night visual meteorological conditions, which resulted in impact with terrain.

The pilot's improper landing flare in gusting crosswind conditions, his failure to conduct a go-around, and his failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in a runway departure and nose-over.

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and an accelerated stall.