# Accident 20090318009189A: Amtr RV6, Paulden, AZ, March 18, 2009 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 18, 2009, 17:50 local time - Place: Paulden, AZ - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.9308° N, 112.5125° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.9308&lon=-112.5125&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6383W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6383W-2010-06-21) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Howes Rodney H RV-6 (registry code 05607FO, https://openairdocs.org/model/howes-rodney-h-rv-6) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-360-A1D (registry code 41504, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-360-a1d) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR RV6 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,850 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR09LA153](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09LA153) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090318009189A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON MARCH 18, 2009, AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 MST, N6383W, AN EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT RV-6, WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFORMING AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE ON A VFR CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM SEDONA AIRPORT (SEZ) TO BIG SPRINGS AIRPORT (AZ27-PRIVATE). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A FRIEND OF THE PILOT, PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING DETAILS CONCERNING THE EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THIS ACCIDENT. APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT DATE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ATTEMPTED TO FLY THE RV-6 FROM AZ27 TO HIS HOME IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. AFTER DEPARTING AZ27, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LANDED AT SEZ TO GET FUEL. AT SEZ, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MR. JARVIS^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MR. JARVIS^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MR. TENNANT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MR. TENNANT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MR. JARVIS^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MR. TENNANT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MR TENNANT STATED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT WANT TO WAIT ANOTHER WEEK AND DECIDED TO HAVE A PART BRAISED AT A LOCAL SHOP IN SEDONA. AFTER THE PART WAS REPAIRED, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WENT BACK TO THE AIRPORT AND RE-INSTALLED THE PART. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN PERFORMED AN ENGINE RUN-UP AT HIGH RPM FOR APPROXIMTELY 5 MINUTES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND THEN INSPECTED THE ENGINE FOR ANY OIL LEAKS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT NO OIL LEAKS WERE LOCATED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE ONCE AGAIN SUGGESTED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT HE REPLACE THE OIL LINE WITH A NEW ONE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE WANTED TO TAKE THE AIRCRAFT AROUND THE PATTERN TO SEE IF THE REPAIR WOULD HOLD. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RUN-UP AREA AND PERFORMED A FULL RUN-UP. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ COMMUNICATED VIA A HAND HELD RADIO. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN PROCEEDED TO TAKEOFF, AND AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY MID-FIELD, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAW THE AIRCRAFT BEGIN TO TRAIL WHITE SMOKE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE ADVISED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE SMOKE AND SUGGESTED HE RETURN TO SEZ. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RESPONDED BY SAYING EVERYTHING WAS OK AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO PROCEED TO AZ27. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN SUGGESTED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PROCEED TO COTTONWOOD AIRPORT BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AGAIN SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO PROCEED TO AZ27. THAT WAS THE LAST TRANSMISSION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECEIVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AZ27 IS 36.9 NAUTICAL MILES FROM SEZ ON A HEADING OF 263 DEGREES. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 3 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF AZ27 AIRPORT. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A DESCENT AND MAKING HELICOPTER-LIKE NOISES. THIS NOISE CAUGHT HIS ATTENTION AND HE MOVED TO CONTINUE TO OBSERVE THE AIRCRAFT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT APPROACH SOUTH OF HIS RANCH ON A WESTERLY HEADING. HE OBSERVED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAILING SMOKE. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT MANEUVER SOUTH OF HIS POSITION, TURN TO THE NORTHWEST TOWARDS A RIDGE, AND THEN TURN BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST. AT THIS POINT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS BARELY ABOVE TREE-TOP LEVEL. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED OVER AND THEN HIT THE GROUND. EVIDENCE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN APPROXIMATELY A 70° NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE ON A HEADING OF 210°, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF A SPIN. GROUND SCARRING AND PROPELLER DAMAGE INDICATED THE PROPELLER WAS NOT TURNING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE LEADING EDGE OF EACH WING WAS FLATTENED BACK TO THE WING SPAR. THE ENGINE WAS PARTIALLY DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT AND TAIL WHEEL WERE COATED IN FRESH OIL. VERY LITTLE OIL WAS PRESENT ON THE GROUND NEAR THE ENGINE BLOCK WHICH WAS CRACKED ADJACENT TO THE CARBURETOR. A HOLE WAS NOTED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE CASING AND A CONNECTING ROD WAS OBSERVED THROUGH THE HOLE. NO OIL WAS PRESENT ON THE ROD OR CRANKSHAFT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES IN THE ACCIDENT. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE EXAMINER THAT REMOVED THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PILOT WAS WEARING HIS LAP BELT, BUT THAT HE WAS NOT WEARING HIS SHOULDER HARNESS. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE IS SCHEDULED WITH THE NTSB IN APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS. ## 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 WPR09LA153](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09LA153), Mar 19, 2009: Howes RV-6 (N6383W), Paulden, AZ, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: A total loss of engine power due to oil starvation as a result of a leak from the inadequate weld repair of a high-pressure oil line. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed… 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.