Updated in August 2025: Information in this update is preliminary and may be supplemented or revised during the investigation.
Collision with terrain
Privately registered
Van’s Aircraft, Inc. RV-14A (amateur-built aircraft), C-GXIV
Calgary/Springbank Airport (CYBW), Alberta
The occurrence
On 16 May 2025, the pilot of a Van’s Aircraft, Inc. RV-14A amateur-built aircraft was intending to conduct a maiden flight after construction. The pilot made an initial attempt to take off at 0714 Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) from the designated runway (17) at Calgary/Springbank Airport (CYBW), Alberta, but he aborted the initial attempt due to aircraft performance that was lower than anticipated during the take-off roll. The pilot then taxied back to the threshold of the runway and a 2nd attempt was made at 0724 MDT. The aircraft gained approximately 10 to 20 feet in height during the initial portion of the takeoff, but the pilot aborted the takeoff again. The aircraft descended and contacted the runway on the nose landing gear first, which resulted in the aircraft bouncing back into the air, entering a pilot-induced oscillation, and drifting left of the runway’s paved surface. The aircraft descended and impacted the grassy area on the left side of the designated runway. The right main landing gear broke free from the aircraft, the nose landing gear collapsed, the propeller contacted the ground, all 3 propeller blades broke off, and the left main landing gear was folded back under the fuselage. The forward fuselage sustained significant damage. The pilot received serious injuries but was able to extract himself from the cockpit. There was no post-impact fire.
Work completed as of 4 June 2025
So far, the investigation revealed that the aircraft’s elevator trim system was installed and configured such that when trimmed nose up, the trim tab physically moved in the nose down direction, but the indicator moved in the nose up direction, and vice versa. The builder had also never performed a full-power engine run before attempting the first takeoff. Lastly, the Minister's Delegate - Recreational Aviation (MD-RA) signed off on an engine run, but none had been performed during the final inspection process.
Next steps
The investigation is ongoing and is currently in the report phase. The TSB's internal review process is underway for the initial draft report, which precedes the confidential draft report process.
Media materials
Investigation information
A25W0058
Collision with terrain
Privately registered
Van’s Aircraft, Inc. RV-14A (amateur-built aircraft), C-GXIV
Calgary/Springbank Airport (CYBW), Alberta
Photos
Download high-resolution photos from the TSB Flickr page.
Class of investigation
This is a class 4 investigation. These investigations are limited in scope, and while the final reports may contain limited analysis, they do not contain findings or recommendations. Class 4 investigations are generally completed within 220 days. For more information, see the Policy on Occurrence Classification.
TSB investigation process
There are 3 phases to a TSB investigation
- Field phase: a team of investigators examines the occurrence site and wreckage, interviews witnesses and collects pertinent information.
- Examination and analysis phase: the TSB reviews pertinent records, tests components of the wreckage in the lab, determines the sequence of events and identifies safety deficiencies. When safety deficiencies are suspected or confirmed, the TSB advises the appropriate authority without waiting until publication of the final report.
- Report phase: a confidential draft report is approved by the Board and sent to persons and corporations who are directly concerned by the report. They then have the opportunity to dispute or correct information they believe to be incorrect. The Board considers all representations before approving the final report, which is subsequently released to the public.
For more information, see our Investigation process page.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.