What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 11, 2023, at approximately 1515 MDT, a RV-6A, single engine airplane, had a hard landing acciident at NM69 (casa Adobes airpark), mimbras, NM. The pilot was on a personal flight from moriarity airport (0E0). No flight plan was filed. The aircraft substained substansial damage. The private pilot and passenger incurred minor injuries. The flight originated at moriarity airport (0E0) on June 11, 2023, at 1540 MDT.
The pilot stated,"a low pass was made north to south to check the windsock. The windsock indicated a crosswind from the southwest but was not being deflected from that heading so a landing was attempted on runway 16. On approach to landing, just before touchdown with flare initiated, the nose rose upward to a steep angle then slammed into the ground bending the nose wheel under and bending the nose gear leg. After sliding down the runway on the bent leg, it dug into the ground and flipped the aircraft onto it’s back".
The weather at the airport was: 20230611 17:10 wind 244 17G23
The crosswind, gusty winds and possible wind shear in the mountain valley, could have caused the aircraft to become uncontrolable in the critical landing phase of the flare.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 11, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 1515 MDT, A RV-6A, SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE, HAD A HARD LANDING ACCIIDENT AT NM69 (CASA ADOBES AIRPARK), MIMBRAS, NM. THE PILOT WAS ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT FROM MORIARITY AIRPORT (0E0). NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSTAINED SUBSTANSIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER INCURRED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT MORIARITY AIRPORT (0E0) ON JUNE 11, 2023, AT 1540 MDT.
THE PILOT STATED,"A LOW PASS WAS MADE NORTH TO SOUTH TO CHECK THE WINDSOCK. THE WINDSOCK INDICATED A CROSSWIND FROM THE SOUTHWEST BUT WAS NOT BEING DEFLECTED FROM THAT HEADING SO A LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED ON RUNWAY 16. ON APPROACH TO LANDING, JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN WITH FLARE INITIATED, THE NOSE ROSE UPWARD TO A STEEP ANGLE THEN SLAMMED INTO THE GROUND BENDING THE NOSE WHEEL UNDER AND BENDING THE NOSE GEAR LEG. AFTER SLIDING DOWN THE RUNWAY ON THE BENT LEG, IT DUG INTO THE GROUND AND FLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO IT’S BACK".
THE WEATHER AT THE AIRPORT WAS: 20230611 17:10 WIND 244 17G23
THE CROSSWIND, GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY, COULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BECOME UNCONTROLABLE IN THE CRITICAL LANDING PHASE OF THE FLARE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.