# Accident 20150411005729A: Trom Wayne VANS RV6A, Menlo, GA, April 11, 2015 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 11, 2015, 14:00 local time - Place: Menlo, GA - Airport: Hogjowl - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.6036° N, 85.4572° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.6036&lon=-85.4572&mi=10 - Aircraft: N646RV, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N646RV) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Trom Wayne VANS RV6A (registry code 05628IT, https://openairdocs.org/model/trom-wayne-vans-rv6a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O-320-E2C (registry code 42122, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-320-e2c) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: TROM WAYNE VANS RV6A - Reported engine: LYCOMING O-320-D3G - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 172 total, 172 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA15CA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA040) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150411005729A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON SATURDAY APRIL 11, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 1345 LOCAL TIME I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM ROC THAT AN AIRCRAFT MAKE; VANS HOMEBUILT, MODEL; RV6A HAD RUN OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP IN MENLO, GA. NAME OF AIRPORT HOG JOWL AIRFIELD, (GE11). AIRFIELD LOCATED IN THE NORTHWEST AREA OF GEORGIA, SOUTHWEST OF BARWICK AIRPORT IN LAFAYETTE (9A5). REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER, THE EYEWITNESS, AND I HAD A 3 WAY CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ACCIDENT. THE EYEWITNESS WAS A RETIRED FAA INSPECTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO OFFICE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE ONLY ONE ON BOARD AND NOT INJURED. THEY HAD ALREADY SECURED THE AIRCRAFT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MOVED THE AIRCRAFT INTO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HANGAR UNTIL A FAA INSPECTOR COULD BE DISPATCH TO THE AIRPORT. CONTACTED MY FRONT LINE MANAGER MR. STRICKLAND APPROXIMATELY 1400 DISCUSSED THE ACCIDENT. I TOLD MR. STRICKLAND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATOR OF THE AIRFIELD HAD MOVED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE FIELD AND INTO A SECURE HANGAR. MR. STRICKLAND AND I AGREED THAT I WOULD TRAVEL TO HOG JOWL ON MONDAY APRIL 13, 2015. MONDAY APRIL 13, 2105 @ 08:30 ARRIVED AT HOG JOWL AIRFIELD AND WAS MEET BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ONE OF THE OWNERS OF THE AIRFIELD AND WHO SAW THE ACCIDENT HAPPEN (STATEMENT ENCLOSED WITH ACCIDENT PACKAGE). AIRCRAFT WAS IN LEFT REAR CORNER OF HANGAR WITH COWLING OFF FOR TRANSPORT FROM FIELD. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AS FOLLOWS; (1) PROPELLER HAS ONE BLADE BENT APPROX. 30 DEGREES TOWARD THE REAR AT ABOUT 10 INCHES FROM TIP. (2) ENGINE MOUNT WAS BENT AND 3 TUBES WERE BROKEN. (3) FIREWALL DAMAGED AT LOWER BOTTOM AND WRINKLED. (4) LOWER BELLY SKIN BEHIND FIREWALL WAS WRINKLED FROM GEAR FOLDING BACK AND UP AGAINST BELLY. (5) LOWER COWLING HAD DAMAGE AROUND THE AREA WERE THE GEAR LEG COME THRU FROM THE ENGINE MOUNT. (6) LEFT WINGTIP HAS DAMAGE. (7) LEFT WING APPROMATELY 3 FEET INBOARD FROM THE TIP, UPPER, LOWER, AND LEADING EDGE SKIN WAS WRINKLED AND PUSHED IN. (8) AT THIS TIME CAN NOT DETERMINE IF MAIN SPAR IS DAMAGED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ GAVE A WRITTEN STATEMENT ON THE EVENTS HE WITNESS. THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NOT AT THE HANGAR HE HAD TO BE OUT OF TOWN MONDAY FOR BUSINESS. CONTACTED OWNER AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH HIM ON APRIL 24, 2015 TO GET HIS STATEMENT AND INFORMATION REQUIRED TO FILL OUT THE 8020-23 FORM. IN SPEAKING WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE ONLY CONCERN ABOUT THE LANDING WAS THAT THE PILOT LANDED TO THE WEST AND THE WINDS FAVOR EAST WITH A 7 TO 8 KNOT TAIL WIND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALSO STATED THAT IF THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT ROLLED OFF TO THE LEFT THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD PLENTY OF RUNWAY TO STOP EVEN WITH A TAIL WIND SINCE THE PILOT TOUCHED DOWN AT THE EAST END OF THE RUNWAY WHICH GAVE HIM 2800 FEET TO STOP. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND HAD NOT ROLLED TO FAR WHEN THE AIRCRAFT MADE A FAIRLY STRONG TURN TO THE LEFT ABOUT 10-15 DEGREES. HE STATED THAT HE TRIED TO CORRECT WITH RIGHT RUDDER BUT IT WOULDN?T CORRECT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^FIRST THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A WIND GUST THAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT BUT NOW HE IS NOT SURE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAS 172 HOURS TOTAL TIME; ALL TIME IS IN THIS AIRCRAFT. ## 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 GAA15CA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA040), Apr 11, 2015: Trom Wayne Vans RV6A (N646RV), LaFayette, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in variable, gusting wind conditions, resulting in a runway excursion, and substantial damage to the airplane. ## Other reports on N646RV (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20220916018949A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220916018949A), Sep 16, 2022: Trom Wayne VANS RV6A (N646RV), Aztec, AZ, Destroyed, 2 fatal. On 09/16/2022 at approximately 1209 PDT, a vans RV6A departed brown field municipal airport, CA (ksdm) with a planned destination of nogales international… 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.