Landing / Ground Loss of Control · NTSB ERA09LA043
MILLER J KIRTLEY RV-6 — Martinsville, VA
| Date | November 7, 2008 |
| Location | Martinsville, VA |
| Aircraft | MILLER J KIRTLEY RV-6 (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Landing-flare/touchdown Abnormal runway contact |
| Pilot age | 71 |
| Pilot total time | 1,416 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | 400 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-OTC medication-Pilot - F
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
What happened
After bouncing on the runway, the pilot aborted the landing and added full engine power. The airplane began to climb, yawed to the left, and struck some small tree branches on the left side of the runway. The pilot corrected back toward the right; however, as the airplane approached the right side of the runway, in a nose-high attitude, it began a slow left yaw and roll. The airplane’s left wing impacted the runway, followed by the propeller and right wing, in a near-vertical attitude. Examination of the airplane did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The pilot had accumulated about 800 flight hours in a similar type airplane and had landed at the airport on numerous occasions. Toxicological testing revealed that chlorpheniramine, an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine, was detected in the pilot's blood. The level was several times higher than the level expected with a typical maximum single over-the-counter dose. In typical doses, the medication has measurable adverse effects on performance of complex and cognitive and motor tasks.