Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB WPR19FA124
Vans RV 6 — Ridgefield, WA
| Date | April 29, 2019 |
| Location | Ridgefield, WA |
| Aircraft | Vans RV 6 (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Approach-VFR pattern final Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 73 |
| Pilot total time | 1,500 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Attention-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
What happened
The pilot and flight instructor were conducting a local flight as part of a flight review. Radar data showed that the airplane departed and proceeded to a nearby airport, where it entered the traffic pattern. The last recorded radar target was located abeam the end of the runway, at an altitude of about 500 ft above ground level. There were no known witnesses to the accident sequence.
The airplane came to rest upright, partially submerged within a pond, about 1,000 ft from the approach end of the runway. Wreckage and impact signatures from surrounding terrain were consistent with a near-vertical impact. Examination revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Bird remains were found on the right (outboard) arm/clothing of the flight instructor and within the engine compartment. The remains were identified as a species common to the accident locale. It is likely that a bird strike occurred while the airplane was maneuvering in the traffic pattern for landing, resulting in a breach of the canopy/windscreen. Given the lack of mechanical anomalies and the orientation of the wreckage, it is likely that the pilots became distracted and exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and loss of control.