Investigators focus on modified part in crash of airshow pilot at Langley Air Force Base

By Pete Muntean, CNN

(CNN) — Investigators probing last week’s crash that killed champion aerobatic pilot Rob Holland as he attempted to land at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia are focused on a part of a special modification to his airplane’s controls.

The new findings published by the National Transportation Safety Board on Friday said one of two small threaded aluminum plugs in the elevator control of Holland’s MXS aerobatic plane was “not installed” and found 10 feet behind the main wreckage.

The new detail is a part of a preliminary report, which does not find a probable cause of the crash. Notably, Friday’s report was published in just eight days and not 30, as is typical for preliminary NTSB findings. The agency’s final report is still expected to be published sometime in 2026 or early 2027.

Holland, 50, was arriving from Tennessee to perform in the Air Power Over Hampton Roads air show. The NTSB found “the airplane made a normal approach to the runway” and leveled off above the runway at an altitude of about 50 feet. Witnesses told investigators the plane then “porpoised” twice, then “pitched ‘straight up,’ rolled 90° to the left and descended to ground impact.”

Holland was the only person on board the single-seat plane, which came to rest to the left of the runway. The plane did not catch fire.

The report noted Holland “collaborated with the manufacturer to modify the airplane to his specifications,” which included a threaded aluminum plug on each side of the exterior of the elevator control, the movable fin on the tail of the plane that controls the up and down movement of the nose. The plug could be unscrewed to reveal “an access hole on the left and right elevator to insert counterweights to adjust elevator feel depending on the aerobatic routine performed.”

The NTSB found not only was the plug from the left side of the elevator control found away from the main wreckage but it was dented and scraped, signs of contact with the rest of the plane’s horizontal tail, the report said. The NTSB did not say what if any effect the missing part could have on Holland’s ability to control his plane.

Friday’s report marks the first significant findings since the crash that killed one of America’s most decorated pilots in the niche sport of competitive aerobatic flying. Holland was the reigning U.S. National Aerobatic Champion, a title he won a record 13 times, and often performed maneuvers he invented himself to air show crowds across North America and to worldwide acclaim.

Holland’s death stunned the aviation world with memorials flooding social media as news of his death spread. This week the world air sports federation, which oversees and certifies titles earned by pilots at international flying competitions, called Holland “an all-time great aerobatic pilot.”

“He was committed to improving his sport, and all air sports, for generations to come,” said Fédération Aéronautique Internationale President Greg Principato. “His influence will be missed by as all. And I will miss his friendship.”

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