Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ledbetter, Texas 78946
Sunday, March 9, 2008 12:47 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident pilot attended a "fly-in" breakfast, and while there had mentioned to several people that he wasn't feeling well and he was probably coming down with a cold. A pilot who departed about 15-20 minutes before the accident pilot, reported that they talked about doing a GPS approach on the return flight and that they would meet after landing. The airplane (and pilot) did not show up, and a search was initiated. The airplane was located in a wooded area 2 days later. The airplane impacted the ground in a near vertical angle and at a high rate of speed. There was no reported communication or distress calls from the accident pilot. Review of the airplane's radar track shows the airplane shortly after its departure, climbing and heading southwest. The radar plots also revealed that once the aircraft was established at an altitude of 2,600 feet, the altitude did not vary, nor did the aircraft make any major heading changes. The last radar return was at 12:47, the airplane appeared to be in level flight at 2,600 feet. An aircraft wreckage lay-out was conducted; most of the cabin area and airplane had disintegrated during the accident sequence. All four corners of the aircraft were accounted for. The pilot and passenger's main cabin doors were fragmented and found with the wreckage debris. The top of the fuselage cabin, where the two main doors attached was located, and the four hinges that attach the doors were in place. Examination of the flight control components revealed breaks and fractures consistent with overload separation. The engine displayed significant impact damage. No evidence of an in-flight fire was noted with either the fuselage or engine areas. Nor was a reason for the loss of control found. An autopsy was preformed on the pilot by the Medical Examiner. The cause of death was listed as undetermined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of control for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/9/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1247 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Ledbetter |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78946 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KGYB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 23 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23852 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 11 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2008 11:48AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Houston, Texas |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N410MR |
| NTSB Number | DFW08LA081 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | Y |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Ritter |
| Aircraft Model | RV-10 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 40043 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 195 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Mark T Ritter |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 509 Bulian Lane |
| Aircraft Owner City | Austin |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78746 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 11R |
| Departure City | BRENHAM |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 50R |
| Destination City | LOCKHART |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 27 2008 12:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | GAMW |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |