NTSB releases preliminary report on fatal RV‑4 crash near Albertville, Alabama

On September 15, 2026, a 62‑year‑old pilot, Douglas Emge, was killed when his Van’s RV‑4 experimental amateur‑built aircraft, registration N469TW, crashed near Albertville, Alabama, about 75 ft east of a private airport’s runway.

Witnesses said the plane taxied south, took off northeast at sunrise, overflew a residence in a steep left bank, narrowly missed trees and utility lines, and descended in a left bank before impact; the wreckage path was about 382 ft long on a magnetic heading of 024°, with the main wreckage upright 102 ft from the initial impact point on a heading of 030°, at an elevation of 1,150 ft. A post‑impact fire destroyed most of the cockpit and fuel system.