- Date
- June 4, 2013, 13:25 local (18:25 UTC)
- Place
- Brookfield, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N77GTSheldrick John H RV-6
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA - Milwaukee FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130604010059A
- Case key
- 87092
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 runway alignment and his failure to recognize that the airplane had drifted away from the runway prior to landing.
Findings · 2
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
The pilot reported that he approached the airport, intending to land on the grass runway. He said that his approach was high and he introduced a slip in order to lose altitude. During the slip, the airplane turned to the left, which he did not notice. He continued the landing and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane was landed in a marsh about 400 yards north of the east-west oriented runway.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he approached the airport, intending to land on the grass runway. He said that his approach was high and he introduced a slip in order to lose altitude. During the slip, the airplane turned to the left, which he did not notice. He continued the landing and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane was landed in a marsh about 400 yards north of the east-west oriented runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77GT
- Reported as
- Sheldrick John H RV-6
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 20599-01
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 88C · Palmyra, WI
- Destination
- 02C · Brookfield, WI
- Airport
- 02C · Capitol Airport, runway 09, 3,395 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 81
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,535 total · 305 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 18,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- UES, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 5, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 803 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.