RV-8 Accident McKinney, TX
Posted by Impossible_Cod_5177@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 28 comments
I think r/flying was the original poster on the RV-8 accident at McKinney (T31) about 6 months ago. I was the pilot and am doing well. I just joined Reddit and happy to continue the discussion on this thread or the original.
Impossible_Cod_5177@reddit (OP)
Here goes: Everything new in the airplane, new in the crate IO-390 with dual p-mags and Garmin avionics. 75 hours on the engine and airframe.
I took off out of 52F (just north of lake Grapevine). Headed north to make sure I stayed below DFW Class B airspace.
Made a right turn direct T31 (McKinney). I find proceeding up “initial” (or flying over the runway at pattern altitude) is advantageous for traffic sequencing especially when not familiar with the airport, and that’s what I did.
As I made my 180 degree onto downwind, I had reduced power. Upon attempting to advance power to hold airspeed - nothing. No noticeable change in engine sound, no sputtering, no indication other than engine stayed rolled back. I had time to switch fuel tanks, make a distress call, and find a field.
I had cleared a residential area, but traded some airspeed for altitude in order to do so.
Came down hard and suffered a burst fracture of my L3 vertebrae and broke 4 ribs. 2 weeks in the hospital and 5 weeks inpatient physical therapy. 6 months later I walk with a cane and go to PT 3 times a week.
Luckily I was minutes away from Baylor hospital.
Both gear legs broke and as the plane pancaked in the wheels punctured the right and left wing fuel tanks. Fuel leaked, but no fire.
A fellow pilot I visited the day before subsequently sent me an article regarding engine rollbacks caused by faulty fuel servos. Until the NTSB released their findings, that my best guess.
Veritech-1@reddit
I thought one of the main advantages of the overhead break was assured landing at the airport in the event of an engine failure during thrust reduction.
ResponsibilityOld164@reddit
Hope you can keep your medical man, congrats on being okay!!
Beautiful_Exchange_3@reddit
With mosaic couldn’t he just fly as sport pilot?
packardrod44@reddit
Great writeup. Glad to hear you're doing better and continuing recovery. Can you send me that article about the fuel servos?
Sarch3r@reddit
Do you have a link to that Fuel Sevro article? Im building a RV8 right now and that would definitely affect my engine choice...
Partially_Shat_Pants@reddit
Hey dude, I own an 8 and I really can't say enough good things about the O-360-A1A... KISS.... you're not getting quite the fuel economy you could but I really don't think it matters on RV-8 style flights (I don't do acro but the 1.5 sightseeing and burger legs are my main flights).
Plus Vans recently updated the carb plate so it no longer cracks every couple hundred hours (I've gone through two of the old design)
flyingforfun3@reddit
Glad you are okay!
Years ago when I instructed out of 52F there were a few incidents there from the road at the end of the runways.
yogaballcactus@reddit
There was an engine out forced landing at KPNE a few weeks ago and the fuel servo issue was brought up there too, but obviously we won’t know the cause until the NTSB finishes their investigation.
Is the cane a permanent thing, or are you working on that in PT? I hope you are able to recover all the way.
helno@reddit
Hopefully your recovery is going well.
Will be interesting to see what the cause was.
Impossible_Cod_5177@reddit (OP)
Also, IAT insurance company was awesome and easy to work with. The airplane was totaled and I got the check for the insured amount.
BoondockWarrior@reddit
I also had a total loss with an RV (luckily non moving, in storage so no injuries) and it was with IAT via BWI. I had the same experience. Amazing folks on all ends. Hope you heal up well and can get back in the air.
Wasatcher@reddit
Was it a fire?
BoondockWarrior@reddit
More or less, yes. The plane is still flying today just not under my ownership. A salvage parts company won it at a salvage auction and then flipped it on ebay.
xia03@reddit
it sounds like you were doing the overhead break which should land the RV at idle once you chop power on the initial. was there traffic in the pattern that prevented you from dead stick landing?
bill-of-rights@reddit
You are right. ADS-B data shows his RV-8 dropped like a rock - not sure why. I too do the overhead break in my RV-8 at about 1000 ft AGL and it works fine at idle, but perhaps I'm pulling it a little tighter than he did. And there is a difference between idle and engine stopped.
I've had a lot of landings which would have been very ugly if I lost the engine on short final...this is a good reminder to keep those approaches steep. I have the same FI system, it sounds like. :O
Impossible_Cod_5177@reddit (OP)
xia03 - the problem was the insidious nature of the engine failure. Recognized when attempting to advance power from the reduction prior to the overhead break, not when power reduced. Lowering the nose and rolling up the turn to go direct the threshold resulted in a building in front of me. The break was initiated over the numbers. Steering for a field was the only option.
Impossible_Cod_5177@reddit (OP)
thewesley69 - I am very much interested in talking to a witness, if your cousin is so inclined. Due to the trauma and drugs administered, I have no memory from about 500’ AGL to waking up post surgery. Please let me know if your cousin wouldn’t mind a conversation. Thank you
thewesley69@reddit
Absolutely, will do!
ResponsibilityOld164@reddit
u/thewesley69
thewesley69@reddit
Hey that was my post! Glad to see you are recovering! My cousin was working on some property near there and witnessed it, then asked me if I could find out what happened. I'm going to share this with him. I hope your recovery progresses well & that you can get back in the cockpit soon!
Impossible_Cod_5177@reddit (OP)
https://www.eaa.org/eaa/news-and-publications/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/2025-12-18-faa-airworthiness-concern-sheet-lycoming-io360-engine?utm_source=eaa_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pubs_ehotline_2025&utm_content=cta
There’s the article.
Also, as my nerves are finding new pathways and repairing ones that can be, I am finding a very slow but steady increase in muscle strength. Most of the recovery happens in the first year but continues over time. I’m 6 months from surgery and I’m thinking I’ll be able to wean myself off the cane in a month or two.
To the RV-8 builder - you’ll love it! Engine choice comes down to weight vs HP. I have a friend who flies the RV-8 “Beautiful Doll”. He has been flying for 20 years. He swears by the Bendix throttle body. He has an angle valve IO-360 200 HP. If you choose to go higher HP over the 180 HP IO-360 M1B (parallel valve) you’ll have a heavier engine. My IO-390 weighed about 305 pounds. It had an Airflow Performance throttle body. The mixture and throttle cables were close to the higher heat areas, like the exhaust pipes, so I used California Cables high heat cables and wrapped them with heat reflective tape. I wrapped the nearby exhaust pipe with an insulation wrap. To help compensate for the weight, I put on aluminum gear legs and a light composite prop.
Until I find out the cause of the engine failure I can’t say if my setup with the engine choice was a factor. I can say that if you prioritize aerobatics over slightly better cross country performance, go with a Bendix throttle body on an IO-360 M1B and an aluminum prop.
PutOptions@reddit
Glad you are doing well. Since we are all here now, can you let us know what happened? You've had some time to debrief to break it down for us. Are you and the plane both airworthy again?
Impossible_Sky9384@reddit
Sounds like the only thing airworthy are the pilot and the check from insurance
Lord_Giles@reddit
I'm glad you're well. Are you back to flying? Is the rv ok? Did insurance work well?
I couldn't find the accident post after 1 minute of using reddit search so i don't know any details.
colin_do@reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/s/tFdnaPDTp3
This seems to be the original discussion thread.
Lord_Giles@reddit
Thanks! :) Apparently searching "rv-8" won't find posts with "rv8" in them.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I think r/flying was the original poster on the RV-8 accident at McKinney (T31) about 6 months ago. I was the pilot and am doing well. I just joined Reddit and happy to continue the discussion on this thread or the original.
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