20190429004449A

Pilot/owner of N90LK, RV-6, met CFI for bi-annual flight review at 1330, fueled aircraft, and then departed grove field airport (1W1) camas, WA, at 1404 pacific time for Daybreak Airport (WA46), a grass strip to perform touch and go landing practice. At 1413, N90LK was on the downwind leg at approximately 500 feet AGL, 87KTS, 129.97HDG, when it disappeared from radar. N90LK was located approximately 1200 feet from the Daybreak landing strip in a pond facing the same general direction with both occupants deceased. On scene investigation by the FAA and NTSB investigators showed the airplane sitting in a flood plain pond with approximately 6 to 12 inches of water. The fuselage aft of the engine firewall was at approximately a 30-degree angle with the firewall forward level. All impact damage appeared to be from the wing leading edges forward.

Compression damage was evident on the top surfaces of the wings with the left wing fuel cap missing. Aerial photos showed a fuel slick covering the entire pond and the two occupants clothing were soaked in avgas according to the clark county medical examiner (me) representative. The pilot/owner was observed fueling his aircraft at grove field prior to take off. All indications are that the aircraft contained adequate fuel at the time of the accident.

The fuselage aft of the wings was showed some buckling on the left hand side with a significant amount of buckling on the right hand side indicating the right wing may have impacted pond just prior to the nose and left wing. The empennage did not appear to have sustained any damage.

Both occupants were slumped over forward in the same positions and pronounced doa at the scene by the first responders and the clark county me. The occupant?s positions seemed to indicate a sudden stoppage of the aircraft in a semi-nose down attitude. The pond contained numerous flags for indicating tree sapling plantings that were intact around the outline of the airplane as well as below the raised empennage which appeared to indicated the airplane hit the pond mud at the same angle as the tail with very little forward momentum.

The main landing gear struts were folded back under the wings with some impact on the lower surface from the wheels but not enough to crush the wings completely which supports the observation of initial impact at the wing leading edge and lower nose cowl areas where the MLG struts are attached at the fuselage.

The engine was still attached to the airframe with the prop still attached to the engine. The engine, although covered with mud, appeared to have sustained minimal damage but further inspection during the engine teardown will be accomplished to determine if the engine was operating. The two-bladed propeller had one blade folded under the engine with the other blade appearing to be undamaged indicating it may not have been turning, or at low RPM, upon impact.

Inspection of the cockpit area showed the flap handle locked in the full up position with the flaps indicating the same. Unable to determine flight control integrity at accident site due to the airframe being crushed around the connecting cables and rods.