Pilot Debrief

VANS RV8 near McKinney, TX — 2025-10-17

Investigation ongoingCEN26LA024
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Date
2025-10-17
Location
McKinney, TX, USA
Airport
52F
Aircraft
VANS RV8
Registration
N3545W
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On October 17, 2025, at 0921 central daylight time, an amateur-built RV-8 airplane, N3545W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near McKinney, Texas. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to local authorities, the airplane impacted terrain 1 nautical mile north of Aero County Airport (T31) in McKinney, Texas, under unknown circumstances. According to witness information, the pilot reported via radio communications that he experienced an engine issue while attempting to land. The airplane was retained for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) · Unknown
View NTSB preliminary report

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