Three Taken To Hospital; Reports Say Driver Was Backing Up Across Runway

A twisted plane, a bent Lincoln Continental and three people hospitalized. That is the aftermath of a Saturday ground collision involving a noteworthy RV-8 and a car on the runway of a Boerne, TX airpark.

The San Antonio Express-News reports the vehicle's driver, identified as a 33-year-old woman, was crossing the runway at Boerne Stage Field (5C1) when her car collided with the RV-8, which was preparing to take off.

FAA records identify the accident aircraft as N628RV -- the 5000th Vans aircraft completed, as ANN reported earlier this year.

Video from the scene indicates the aircraft was rolling at the time of the collision. According to news reports, the car was backing up across the airfield when the accident occurred.

Both the woman and the plane's pilot, the only person onboard the RV-8, were airlifted to a local hospital. The woman's six-year-old son, who was a passenger in the Lincoln, was transported to the hospital by a family member. Their names and conditions were not released.

The RV-8 (shown above, in happier times) came to rest upright, on its belly, with the rear half of its fuselage partially separated. The car suffered extensive damage to its hood and left windshield pillar.

Names of the victims were not released, though Boerne Police Sgt. Tom Akeroyd said the woman is the daughter of airfield owners Robert and Nancy Bruce, and lives on the airport grounds.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 628RV        Make/Model: RV8       Description: RV-8
  Date: 10/13/2007     Time: 1546

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: SAN ANTONIO   State: TX   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF ROLL, CRASHED INTO A VEHICLE AT THE APPROACH END OF THE
  RUNWAY, BOERNE, SAN ANTONIO, TX

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   1
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   1

WEATHER: VFR

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Take-off      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: SAN ANTONIO, TX  (SW17)               Entry date: 10/15/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov