Mechanical & Engine Failure · NTSB ERA10LA205
CUPAIOLE RV-6A — West Palm Beach, FL
| Date | April 3, 2010 |
| Location | West Palm Beach, FL |
| Aircraft | CUPAIOLE RV-6A (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Loss of engine power (total) |
| Pilot age | 58 |
| Pilot total time | 3,500 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 600 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-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Power plant-(general)-Failure - C
- Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C
What happened
Witnesses reported that the pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane was working on the engine's alternator and then planned to fly from his home airport, to an airport about 30 miles away, to purchase fuel. Shortly after takeoff, witnesses heard the engine noise cease. The airplane then stalled and entered a spin, descending nose-down into a lake, about 1/8 mile east of the departure airport. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that both fuel tanks were compromised during impact and had been filled with water. The quantity of fuel, if any, in the fuel tanks prior to impact could not be determined; the airplane's last fueling could not be verified. The examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. Toxicology results indicated that the pilot had used marijuana and an over-the-counter antihistamine. The condition of the samples tested did not permit accurate determination of when the substances might have most recently been used or whether the pilot may have been impaired by their use.