What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
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 airport, AZ (kols). Prior to departure, the PIC purchased 19.15 gallons of fuel at 11:36AM from first flight FBO located on ksdm. At approximately 1323 PDT, the aircraft impacted on flat, unpopulated, and sparsley vegitated desert terrain. Visual metorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. Aircraft was ADS-B equipped. There were no witnesses of the impact. PIC and spouse both did not survive the crash and subsequent fire.
Examination of the accident scene on the morning of 09/17/2022 revealed the following: the aircraft impacted facing a heading of 145 degrees. The post-impact debris field was contained to an approximate 40 foot radius of the impact site. No evidence of pre-impact fire was noted. Post-impact fire consumed the cockpit, fuselage, and the inboard portions of the right and left wings. The empennage, to include vertical and horizontal stabilizers, was burned but intact. Cockpit instruments, indicators, and controls were destroyed or severely damaged by the fire. Flight control continuity was established at the accident scene. The wooden propellor did not appear to be under power at the time of impact as noted by fracture pattern that ran parallel to the propeller chord, lack of scoring and/or scratches on the propeller leading edges, and by the lack of radial scoring on the remaining portions of the propeller spinner flange.
A review of maintenance records indicated annual condition inspections were performed per the operation limitations associated with the special airworthiness certificate. On or around 03/31/2022, all four engine cylinders were reworked due to corrosion being found. Work was performed by 14 CFR part 145 repair stations and included chrome plating and exhaust port rework. Detailed exam of the engine conducted on 10/25/2022 revealed no mechanical anomolies that would have resulted in the apparent loss of power. Combustion chamber environments and electrodes displyed no evidence of foreign object ingestion. All engine accessories to include caruretor, magnetos, alternator, starter, and associated wiring were destroyed by the post-imapct fire and were not able to be assessed for functionality.
As the FAA filed it
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 AIRPORT, AZ (KOLS). PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE PIC PURCHASED 19.15 GALLONS OF FUEL AT 11:36AM FROM FIRST FLIGHT FBO LOCATED ON KSDM. AT APPROXIMATELY 1323 PDT, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED ON FLAT, UNPOPULATED, AND SPARSLEY VEGITATED DESERT TERRAIN. VISUAL METOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AIRCRAFT WAS ADS-B EQUIPPED. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES OF THE IMPACT. PIC AND SPOUSE BOTH DID NOT SURVIVE THE CRASH AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE.
EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE ON THE MORNING OF 09/17/2022 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED FACING A HEADING OF 145 DEGREES. THE POST-IMPACT DEBRIS FIELD WAS CONTAINED TO AN APPROXIMATE 40 FOOT RADIUS OF THE IMPACT SITE. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FIRE WAS NOTED. POST-IMPACT FIRE CONSUMED THE COCKPIT, FUSELAGE, AND THE INBOARD PORTIONS OF THE RIGHT AND LEFT WINGS. THE EMPENNAGE, TO INCLUDE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS, WAS BURNED BUT INTACT. COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS, INDICATORS, AND CONTROLS WERE DESTROYED OR SEVERELY DAMAGED BY THE FIRE. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE WOODEN PROPELLOR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE UNDER POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT AS NOTED BY FRACTURE PATTERN THAT RAN PARALLEL TO THE PROPELLER CHORD, LACK OF SCORING AND/OR SCRATCHES ON THE PROPELLER LEADING EDGES, AND BY THE LACK OF RADIAL SCORING ON THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE PROPELLER SPINNER FLANGE.
A REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED ANNUAL CONDITION INSPECTIONS WERE PERFORMED PER THE OPERATION LIMITATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. ON OR AROUND 03/31/2022, ALL FOUR ENGINE CYLINDERS WERE REWORKED DUE TO CORROSION BEING FOUND. WORK WAS PERFORMED BY 14 CFR PART 145 REPAIR STATIONS AND INCLUDED CHROME PLATING AND EXHAUST PORT REWORK. DETAILED EXAM OF THE ENGINE CONDUCTED ON 10/25/2022 REVEALED NO MECHANICAL ANOMOLIES THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE APPARENT LOSS OF POWER. COMBUSTION CHAMBER ENVIRONMENTS AND ELECTRODES DISPLYED NO EVIDENCE OF FOREIGN OBJECT INGESTION. ALL ENGINE ACCESSORIES TO INCLUDE CARURETOR, MAGNETOS, ALTERNATOR, STARTER, AND ASSOCIATED WIRING WERE DESTROYED BY THE POST-IMAPCT FIRE AND WERE NOT ABLE TO BE ASSESSED FOR FUNCTIONALITY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N646RV · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.