Passenger On Board The Landing Velocity Loses Life

The tragic and shocking landing collision that took place at a monthly EAA Pancake Breakfast has now claimed a third life.

Killed on Saturday aboard a taxiiing RV-8 were two men, ID'd by a friend to local media, as Bill Hess and Phil Schacht, both reportedly retired airline pilots who lived at Spruce Creek Fly-In. Hess allegedly once worked for the state of New York and had flown five governors durng his career.

The third fatality, who initially survived the impact between the two aircraft, was ID'd by Titusville PD as Donald Key, the passenger in the Velocity. Key died Sunday.

The accident took place as early Saturday, as two aircraft, one landing and one taxiing, collided during the monthly EAA Chapter 866 pancake breakfast activity, at the Arthur Dunn Airpark in Titusville, FL. Two persons in the taxiing aircraft, reported as an RV-8, were apparently killed on impact. The two occupants of the landing aircraft, a Velocity XL-RG were evac'ed to the hospital from the scene with the pilot reported to be conscious and able to ask for help for his passenger at the scene. 

The Velocity XL (FILE photo, below) was reportedly involved in a go-around from Rwy 15-33 due to his closure on another aircraft when he drifted off the runway far enough, laterally, to strike the RV-8 (where the canard configuration may have contributed to visibility issues in the ensuing go-around decision process). An extensive fire ensued.

Eyewitness reports indicate that one wing of the Velocity struck the RV-8, nearly severing the aircraft in the process. The Velocity then impacted, cartwheeled and came to rest inverted. One person was ejected from the wreckage while pilots at the event dragged the other from the scene, with the aircraft fully involved in the post-impact fire. 

The RV-8 (illustrated below) was based in Daytona Beach, Florida, while the Velocity was registered to an owner in Wilmington, DE.

The 0832 accident took place during a monthly event at the popular Arthur Dunn airport. The EAA Chapter 866 pancake breakfast takes place once a month and is well-attended when conditions allow.

The weather at the time of the accident was VFR.

FMI: www.flairport.com