# Accident 20000903015179A: Amtr RV6A, Bayou La Batre, AL, September 3, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 3, 2000, 12:10 local time - Place: Bayou La Batre, AL - Airport: Roy E Ray Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.4003° N, 88.2492° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4003&lon=-88.2492&mi=10 - Aircraft: N199EC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N199EC) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Capozzi Eugene L VAN RV-6A (registry code 05607CM, https://openairdocs.org/model/capozzi-eugene-l-van-rv-6a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (registry code 41594, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-a1a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR RV6A - Reported engine: LYC O360A1A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 327 total, 79 in this make and model, 14 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA00LA259](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA259) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000903015179A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) PILOT WAS ON PLEASURE FLIGHT WITH DEPARTURE AND TERMINATION AT ROY E. RAY AIRPORT (5R7), WITH ENROUTE LANDINGS AT ST. ELMO (2R5) AIRPORT. THE PILOT CONFIGURED FOR LANDING AT 5R7 SELECTING FULL FLAPS. AT APPROX. 30 FEET AGL THE A/C ROLLED LEFT. THE PILOT STATED HE APPLIED OPPOSITE AILERON, RIGHT RUDDER, AND APPLIED ENGINE POWER TO INITIATE A MISSED APPROACH. THE A/C CONTINUED A LEFT ROLL AND IMPACTED THE GROUND CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO A/C. PILOT STATED THAT LEFT WING IMPACTED AT ANGLE OF APPROX. 15-20 DEGREES. THE LEFT WING TIP HIT CAUSING THE WING TO COMPRESS AND DAMAGE THE LEFT AIRLERON. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, THE PROPELLOR AND SPINNER WERE DESTROYED, THE ENGINE INCURRED SUDDEN STOPPAGE, ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO ENGINE COWL, INTAKE, AND RIGHT FLAP. MAIN GEAR FRAME (STRUTS) BENT AND FAIRINGS WERE DESTROYED. THE FIREWALL, FUSELAGE, AND EMPENNAGE BULKHEAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE AND DISTORTION. (.4)ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2000, ABOUT 1210 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A EUGENE L. CAPOZZI VAN RV-6A, N199EC, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, CRASHED DURING LANDING AT ROY E. RAY AIRPORT, BAYOU LA BATRE, ALABAMA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PA RT PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND AIRPLANE TRANSPORT-RATED PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM BAYOU LA BATRE, ALABAMA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1100. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 36, HE EXTENDED FULL WING FLAPS, AND MAINTAINED ABOUT 80 MPH UNTIL CLEAR OF THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HE THEN REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND DESCENDED TOWARD THE RUNWAY. AT ABOUT 30 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, THE LEFT WING DROPPED DOWN BETWEEN 20-30 DEGREES, AND HE APPLIED RIGHT AILERON CONTROL AND ENGINE POWER IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE LEFT ROLL. THE ENGINE DID NOT SEEM TO RESPOND AND THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED IN THE LEFT ROLL. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED NOSE DOWN, APPROXIMATELY 15-20 DEGREES LEFT WING DOWN, AND COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY. MARKS ON THE GRASS INDICATED THAT THE OUTBOARD EDGE OF THE LEFT AILERON FIRST IMPACTED THE RUNWAY. THERE WERE 24 PROPELLER STRIKES ON THE GRASS RUNWAY OVER 36 FEET. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND WAS 10 INCHES. HE STATED A WITNESS TOLD HIM HE DID HEAR THE ENGINE INCREASE IN POWER BEFORE GROUND IMPACT. THE PILOT ALSO STATED HE OBSERVED NO MALFUNCTIONS IN THE AILERON SYSTEM AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER STATED THE PILOT SLOWED TO APPROACH SPEED ABOVE THE TREES ON SHORT FINAL FOR RUNWAY 36. ABOUT 3 SECONDS AFTER WE CLEARED THE OBSTACLES OVER THE THRESHOLD, THE LEFT WING STARTED TO DROP AND HE YELLED TO THE PILOT "POWER". THE PILOT TOLD HIM LATER THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE COMMAND DUE TO A FAILED INTERCOM TRANSMIT ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE. THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT AILERON CONTROL AND ADDED POWER. HE DID NOT FEEL THE ENGINE RESPOND AS THEY RAN OUT OF ALTITUDE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND LEFT WING AND NOSE DOWN ABOUT 10 DEGREES. PROPELLER STRIKE ANALYSIS SHOW THAT IF THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OPERATING AT FULL POWER, 2,700 RPM, AT THE TIME OF GROUND IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT WOULD HAVE HAD A GROUND SPEED OF ABOUT 51 MPH. IF THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OPERATING AT 2,500 RPM, THE GROUND SPEED WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 47 MPH. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AT 52 MPH WITH FLAPS EXTENDED FULL. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA00LA259](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA259), Sep 3, 2000: Eugene L. Capozzi VAN RV-6A (N199EC), Bayou La Batre, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilots failure to maintain airspeed during final approach result in the aircraft stalling and descending uncontrolled until ground impact. ## Other reports on N199EC (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20051208028659I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20051208028659I), Dec 8, 2005: Amtr VANSRV6A (N199EC), Pottstown, PA, Minor damage. (-23) Pilot chocked the wheels of his aircraft after it would not start using battery power. When he attempted to hand prop it to start it, the engine started… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.