According to two other pilots involved in the flight, the flight was a three-airplane formation flight to practice position changes and low-level maneuvering.
The three airplanes departed Meadow Lake Airport (KFLY) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and headed south, with the Van’s RV-4 as the lead airplane.
About 30 minutes after takeoff, the airplanes flew south past Pueblo, Colorado, and began a descent toward the Cucharas Reservoir, northeast of Walsenburg. The airplanes were in a right-echelon route formation and were prepared to go to a trail formation for low-level maneuvering within the river canyon.
About a mile north of the reservoir, the RV-4 pilot directed the two other pilots to “go trail,” and he made a left turn and a descent toward a river canyon that extended north of the reservoir.
The pilots reported they entered a descent and encountered strong surface winds and turbulence above the canyon rim.
The RV-4 descended below the canyon rim and continued the descent to near the bottom of the canyon.
One pilot reported there was a strong south-southwest wind (210° at 35 mph) a couple thousand feet above the surface, so he remained above the canyon rim to assess potential turbulence.
During the third turn and less than a minute inside the canyon, the pilots observed the RV-4’s left wing contact the edge of the canyon at a high speed. The airplane fragmented and came to a stop in the canyon. The RV-4 pilot died in the crash.
After the accident, the other pilots circled the area, contacted air traffic control to report the accident location, and then returned to KFLY.
A review of the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed the flight tracks for the three airplanes were consistent with the witness reports. The RV-4’s data ended about a mile west of the accident site.
According to investigators, there were several pilot reports (PIREPs) of light-to-moderate turbulence over the area prior to the accident, with at least four urgent reports of moderate-to-severe turbulence after the accident.
The National Weather Service Graphic Turbulence Guidance provided eddy dissipation rates between 20 and 45 over southern Colorado in the vicinity of the accident site consistent with moderate-to-severe turbulence.
Huerfano County Sheriff’s personnel, who responded to the accident site shortly after receiving the report of a missing airplane, reported the winds above the canyon rim were different in intensity and direction than the winds encountered within the canyon. The winds within the canyon were strong and variable depending on the terrain features.
Post-accident examination of the accident site revealed the left wing and wing tip were at the initial impact area.
The airplane’s forward fuselage impacted rocky terrain, and the airplane fragmented into multiple sections. The engine, fractured composite propeller blades, and the main landing gear were separated and came to rest between the initial impact and the main wreckage. The main wreckage consisted of the cockpit/cabin, empennage, and inboard sections of the left and right wings.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while intentionally maneuvering in a canyon at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to enter a canyon environment at a low altitude, and the sudden change in wind conditions within the canyon.
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This December 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I still look back at formation flying as some of the most fun I’ve ever had in the air. If you must have some tangible results, like aerobatics, formation flying hones many skills that are necessary to be a good pilot. Most of us got into aviation because it’s fun and challenging. Take those away and it’s just a job.
Unfortunately McSpadden encouraged formation and low altitude maneuvering which to my knowledge was never advocated by AOPA in the past. I emailed him to consider that specialized training afforded by the USAF was not always a good idea for General Aviation. He was widely respected and influenced many pilots actions, even today. Accidents will happen, but careful preflight consideration
of intended inflight actions might have prevented this incident.
20,181 hours at 70 years young, my hero
He didn’t check out wearing a bib with split pea soup drooling down his chin.
RIP, until next time
I’ve known Richard McSpadden since 1986 when we served our first of two consecutive F-15 tours together.
I later worked for him as a contractor for AOPA’s Air Safety Institute.
I’m sure his family, friends, and the rest of his colleagues, are happy to know he was your hero.
Roger That
He was lucky he didn’t have medical issues that caused that. Nobody chooses to wear a bib and drool, some people have catastrophic medical issues. But it’s okay to put them down because they’re less than, right?
Being from Pueblo I’m quite familiar with pilots under estimating mountain area winds. Even the CAP found out years ago the FAA recommendations weren’t adequate under some circumstances.
And some aircraft are more at the mercy of winds than others.
So sad to hear of the untimely passing of a fellow airman,my sincere condolences to his family, may his soul rest in peace.
I don’t want to be in any way insensitive, so I will just say that it sounds like it was an incredibly risky outing. But of course I don’t know all of the circumstances. It appears to be something out of Top Gun, but it may have been well thought out, and just went bad. Either way, I think I will be experiencing my canyon adventures in my simulator, and save my adrenaline for IMC. Sympathies to all of the family and friends of those affected.
Formation Flight tagline is misleading and has absolutely nothing to do with this accident.
Actually it does. Formation flying in GA is about impressing by performing non standard actions, which accomplish nothing tangible. There’s no other reason to do nap of the earth flying. I’ve done it in the same location but was cognizant of winds and flying a T-Arrow lll…and it’s obvious that if there’s a power failure you’re probably dead.
Very good article and well written. Always sad to hear about a fatal incident.
First time reader. Very interesting and informative.
That was a stupid reason to die.