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Looking at the photos, it appears that it first came down on one wing, crumpled it up, then spun the plane over to the other wing. Both wings appear to be bent backwards, and that takes a pretty big hit. It seems to be possibly caused by a wing-low contact, such as a turn from a stall spin scenario. Looking at the open field to the one side of the crash and the road/houses/trees to the opposite side, it seems likely that he was maneuvering to get to the open area and away from the obstructions, and maybe during the maneuvering he pulled too hard and spun it.

None of this is intended to be a criticism of the pilot or his choices. Rather I think it reinforces the need for each and every one of us to train for this scenario. The urge to maneuver aggressively is nearly impossible to overcome in the heat of the moment. Training is the only safeguard we have, and only then if we diligently pursue it.

Be safe, be realistic with your level of proficiency, and take ownership of your own training program. This could quite literally save your life.

Jeff

Wes, Good point about the fuel line from the tank. I used solid aluminum lines to relieve bending force from weight of overhanging valve assembly , but sudden forward motion of tank could be a problem. Will have to look at that again. may convert to flexible braided line with some other supplementary support for the weight of the valve.

David A

Just heard his passenger didn't make it. RIP.

Sorry, this is an old thread and accident. This YouTube video captures the accident sequence. The start of the video just looks like a "driving to the accident site", but 29 seconds in, the airplane approaching in the windshield. The video speculates that the pilot was attempting to complete a right traffic emergency landing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FvQnIWY_XI

I sure hate reading about crashes and fires.

As for fuel lines, I recall Van's saying they prefer aluminum tubing to braided hose. The theory was that aluminum tubing will tend to kink itself closed to some extent, where hose will tear apart and stay open creating more of a leak. I think there are too many variables to say one is always better than the other, so it comes down to builder preference. I definitely feel like the rotomolded fuel tank is far superior to a metal tank when it comes to durability.