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20231205019939A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Majors RV6A · Fordyce, AR · December 5, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 5, 2023 · 18:00 local
Place
Fordyce, AR
Airport
Fordyce Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N600VS
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN24LA056
Reported as
Majors RV6A
Reported engine
SUBARU EJ25
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
8,300 total1 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N600VSRegistered now · Majors RV6AS/N W006Airframe modelMajors RV6AEngine modelSubaru ALL MDLS A/B4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On 12/5/2023 the aircraft was in transit from durant, ok (dua) to cleveland, ms (rnv) with two pilots onboard, cruising at 7500’. The aircraft started to experience a loss of power and airspeed. It then developed erratic engine performance. The symptoms indicated fuel starvation, but the instruments showed over 50% capacity in both tanks. Remedial steps taken were to switch tanks and turn on both fuel pumps but with no improvement of performance. The pilots decided to land the aircraft at Fordyce, AR (5M4). Steps were taken to shut off the engine to land without power, but the engine continued to run. On final approach the electric flaps failed to deploy. The aircraft “floated long” using up most of the runway before touching down. On roll out, the aircraft left the end of the runway and entered the field at the end. Approximately 80 yards from the end of the runway, the nose gear dug into the soil and collapsed. The aircraft flipped over on it’s back, ending up 100 yards from the end of the runway. The pilot in charge received a head laceration and minor spinal injuries.

As the FAA filed it

ON 12/5/2023 THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN TRANSIT FROM DURANT, OK (DUA) TO CLEVELAND, MS (RNV) WITH TWO PILOTS ONBOARD, CRUISING AT 7500’. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF POWER AND AIRSPEED. IT THEN DEVELOPED ERRATIC ENGINE PERFORMANCE. THE SYMPTOMS INDICATED FUEL STARVATION, BUT THE INSTRUMENTS SHOWED OVER 50% CAPACITY IN BOTH TANKS. REMEDIAL STEPS TAKEN WERE TO SWITCH TANKS AND TURN ON BOTH FUEL PUMPS BUT WITH NO IMPROVEMENT OF PERFORMANCE. THE PILOTS DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT AT FORDYCE, AR (5M4). STEPS WERE TAKEN TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE TO LAND WITHOUT POWER, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. ON FINAL APPROACH THE ELECTRIC FLAPS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE AIRCRAFT “FLOATED LONG” USING UP MOST OF THE RUNWAY BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN. ON ROLL OUT, THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND ENTERED THE FIELD AT THE END. APPROXIMATELY 80 YARDS FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE NOSE GEAR DUG INTO THE SOIL AND COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON IT’S BACK, ENDING UP 100 YARDS FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT IN CHARGE RECEIVED A HEAD LACERATION AND MINOR SPINAL INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN24LA056Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportFordyce, ARThe pilot’s failure to attain a proper touchdown point following an unidentified electrical system failure and subsequent partial loss of engine power, which resulted in a runway overrun and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s…Dec 5, 2023 · Substantial damage