Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB WPR13LA420
MILLER RV6 — Williams, CA
| Date | September 24, 2013 |
| Location | Williams, CA |
| Aircraft | MILLER RV6 (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 63 |
| Pilot total time | 1,000 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Awareness of condition - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Physical-Health/Fitness-Use of medication/drugs-Pilot
What happened
Witnesses reported observing the airplane traveling very low and fast over the terrain. They then saw the airplane disappear behind a hill, followed by rising black smoke. During the postaccident on-site examination, the lowest wire of a high-tension power line that crossed over a shallow valley was found broken, and a fragment of the airplane's wing was found hanging from the next higher power line. The main wreckage was located 300 yards north of the power lines, and a postcrash fire had ensued.
Toxicological testing detected ethanol in the pilot's tissues; however, the ethanol distribution was not consistent with ingestion and likely resulted from postmortem sources. The testing also detected the opioid medications tramadol and hydrocodone in the pilot's urine, indicating that he had used the medications at some time before the accident. The low level of tramadol in the blood indicates that the pilot was unlikely impaired by it at the time of the accident; however, there was insufficient evidence to determine if he was impaired by the hydrocodone at the time of the accident.