| Crash location | 33.220556°N, 87.611389°W |
| Nearest city | Tuscaloosa, AL
33.209841°N, 87.569174°W 2.6 miles away |
| Tail number | N722DK |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 29 Mar 2015 |
| Aircraft type | Kight Daniel H Rv 6 |
| Additional details: | None |
On March 29, 2015, about 1330 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Vans RV-8, N8JL, and an experimental amateur-built Vans RV-6, N722DK, collided in midair while maneuvering over the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (TCL), Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The RV-8 was substantially damaged and the RV-6 sustained minor damage. Both airplanes subsequently landed without further incident. The airline transport pilot of the RV-8 and the commercial pilot of the RV-6 were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed no flight plan had been filed for the local demonstration flight.
Both airplanes were part of "Team Aerodynamix" an air show team that was participating in the Tuscaloosa Regional Air Show.
According to initial information, at the time of the accident, two other airplanes were flying in formation at an altitude of 500 feet above runway 04/22, while the pilot of the RV-8 intended to circle around the two airplanes from behind. An additional group of team airplanes were flying in the opposite direction. While circling in a counter-clockwise direction, the RV-8 converged on the two airplanes flying in formation, and the propeller of the RV-6, which was flying on the right side of the formation, and the right elevator and horizontal stabilizer of the RV-8 made contact.
The pilot of the RV-6 reported that he was flying straight and level and focused on the airplane flying in formation on his left side, when the airplane began to experience a sudden severe vibration. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that portions of the propeller were missing.
The pilot of the RV-8 reported that the maneuver had been practiced many times previously. He began rolling to the left while positioned about 4 to 5 airplane lengths behind the two airplanes. During his third roll, his airplane had overtaken the airplanes flying in formation during the final one-fourth to one-half of the roll. He observed one of the airplanes pass off his left and heard a "bang" at that time. Postaccident inspection of the RV-8 revealed that the outboard one-third of the right horizontal stabilizer, and the outboard two-thirds of the right elevator were separated.
The pilot of the RV-8 reported 4,000 hours total flight experience in single-engine airplanes, which included 2,000 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The pilot of the RV-6 reported about 750 hours of total flight experience, which included about 150 hours in make and model.