Do we know yet what caused the crash of the Fokker D-VIII at Old Rhinebeck Airdrome? Sad that the pilot was killed and a really nice aircraft is gone.
I haven't heard any new details.
Fokker D VIII, rotary engine from 1994 (new-old parts?), built by Coughlin himself, I believe.
Engine trouble, fire, crash.
I imagine it was on takeoff, but none of the coverage says that explicitly.
What I was able to find. (https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/449851) Reproduction built in 1994. Plane was in a landing phase. Possible engine failure and crashed in woods.
Using the Internet Archive, April, 2024 (https://web.archive.org/web/20240417204634/https://oldrhinebeck.org/fokker-e-v-d-viii-reproduction/), I retrieved this information about the D-VIII:
"This is the second of four Fokker E.V/D.VIIIs that were built by Aerodrome pilot: Brian Coughlin. He has flown this aircraft in our shows since 1994. Its distinctive lozenge fabric and markings represent the earlier E.V version that flew with Jagdsta 6 (https://web.archive.org/web/20221129202715/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdstaffel_6) in July-August of 1918. Powered with an original WW1 160 HP Gnome rotary engine, the E.V/D.VIII delivers a dramatic aerial performance in our Sunday airshows!"