Landing / Ground Loss of Control · NTSB CEN15FA163
AHRENS GERD H RV 6 — Pratt, KS
| Date | March 7, 2015 |
| Location | Pratt, KS |
| Aircraft | AHRENS GERD H RV 6 (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Landing-landing roll Loss of control on ground |
| Pilot age | 85 |
| Pilot total time | 3,099 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 16 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Physical-Sensory ability/limitation-Visual function-Pilot
What happened
While landing on a grass airstrip, the airplane ran off the right side of the airstrip, nosed over, and then came to rest inverted. There were no witnesses to the accident. Ground scars on the airstrip were consistent with a hard landing. An examination of the airframe, landing gear, brakes, and related systems revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Acquaintances of the pilot reported that he had complained of depth perception problems and had been landing the airplane hard. The pilot was denied a medical certificate due to health concerns noted by the air medical examiner. Investigators were not able to determine the pilot's recent flight experience. It is likely that the pilot landed the airplane hard and was unable to maintain directional control.