# Accident 20210518008509A: Crosby Harry RV-6, Byron, CA, May 18, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 18, 2021, 14:00 local time
- Place: Byron, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.8284° N, 121.6258° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.8284&lon=-121.6258&mi=10
- Aircraft: N16CX, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N16CX-2022-11-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Crosby Harry RV-6 (registry code 05617VO, https://openairdocs.org/model/crosby-harry-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: CROSBY HARRY RV-6
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-360-A1D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,072 total, 1,819 in this make and model, 27 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR21LA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA199) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210518008509A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF ACCIDENT AT C83. DISPATCHED TO AIRPORT, AIRCRAFT WAS STILL IN PLACE UPON ARRIVAL AT SCENE. AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING  600' DOWN THE RUNWAY, ON THE OPPOSITE BANK OF THE DITCH THAT PARALLELS THE EAST SIDE OF RUNWAY 23. THE PIC WAS PRESENT AND UNINJURED. HE REPORTED A GUST OF WIND PUSHED THE NOSE LEFT ON HIS TAKEOFF ROLL. WINDS WERE REPORTED TO BE 210 AT 15 GUSTING TO 22. HE REPORTED ADDING RUDDER AND AILERON INPUT BUT COULD NOT OVERCOME THE LEFT YAW. WITNESSES REPORTED THE RIGHT WING APPEARED TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE RUNWAY. INSPECTION OF THE WING VALIDATES THIS OBSERVATION.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING ON THE OPPOSITE BANK OF THE DITCH AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE FROM THE RUNWAY. THE PROPELLER WAS SPLINTERED AND BOTH PROPELLERS WERE BROKEN NEAR THE HUB. THE LANDING GEAR WAS PUSHED OUT AND BACK FROM THE FUSELAGE, BOTH APPEARED TO HAVE BROKEN THE ATTACHMENT AT THE FUSELAGE AND BENT THE BAR. THE LEFT WING APPEARED DAMAGE FREE WITH MINOR SCRATCHES AND SCRUB MARKS. THE RIGHT WING APPEARED TO HAVE SPAR DAMAGE 6 FEET FROM THE TIP AND WAS BENT SLIGHTLY UP. IT ALSO APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN PUSHED AFT SLIGHTLY EVIDENCED BY SKIN WRINKLING NEAR THE WING ROOT, ON THE TOP AFT SECTION OF THE WING. THE TAIL SECTION HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZERS APPEARED DAMAGE FREE. THE AILERONS WERE DAMAGE FREE. THE TAIL WHEEL WAS DAMAGE FREE, THERE DOES APPEAR TO BE SOME SLIGHT SCRUB MARKS/WEAR ON THE TAIL WHEEL. NOT WHAT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THE TAIL WHEEL WERE LOCKED 90 DEGREES FOR 600'.

AN INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE YIELDED A SCRUB MARK ORIGINATING NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY TERMINATING IN LINE WITH WHERE THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST. THE GRAVEL AND GRASS SHOWED/HAD EVIDENCE OF THIS AS WELL.

INSPECTED AIRCRAFT TAILWHEEL WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. TAILWHEEL LINKAGES WERE INTACT AND PROPERLY FUNCTIONING. TAILWHEEL BROKE FREE AS DESIGNED AND ROTATED FREELY WITHOUT ANY INDICATION OF CATCHING. TAILWHEEL RULED OUT AS CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

## 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 WPR21LA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA199), May 18, 2021: Harry Crosby RV-6 (N16CX), Byron, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff while operating in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent collision with…

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.

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