- Date
- June 4, 2011, 21:15 local (Jun 5, 2011, 03:15 UTC)
- Place
- Dexter, NM
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N820RCKamtz Russell H RV-6A
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110604009489A
- Case key
- 79314
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a fence while landing at night.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While on final approach, during a night landing, the pilot established that his altitude was low so he raised the nose of the airplane. The tail of the airplane struck a fence and the airplane impacted terrain short of the runway, coming to rest inverted. The empennage, the right aileron, and the outboard portion of the right wing separated from the airplane. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
While on final approach, during a night landing, the pilot established that his altitude was low so he pulled the nose of the airplane up. The tail of the airplane struck a fence and the airplane impacted terrain short of the runway, coming to rest inverted. The empennage, the right aileron, and the outboard portion of the right wing separated from the airplane. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the accident. The pilot added that he was landing at a private airport which was "poorly lit."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N820RC
- Reported as
- Kamtz Russell H RV-6A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 60204
- Airframe hours
- 1,087
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-AIA, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 25, 2010
- Departed
- KALM · Alamagordo, NM
- Destination
- PVT · Dexter, NM
- Airport
- PVT · Private
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 11, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 330 in this make and model · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KROW, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 1, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 776 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.