- Date
- June 23, 2026, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Marvel, AR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N164GRRocky Mountain Kitplanes S-6S
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260623007459A
- Case key
- 203228
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
A partial blockage of the pitot static system that precluded the airspeed indicator from displaying the correct airspeed which led to the faster landing speed and bounced landing.
Findings · 4
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 airplane departed the pilot’s private grass strip airport. Shortly after, the pilot noticed that the airspeed was indicating lower than normal. Presuming that the pitot tube was partially obstructed, the pilot decided to land the airplane. Due to the inaccurate airspeed, the pilot flew a faster than normal approach. Upon landing, the airplane bounced, and the nose gear strut broke. The propeller struck the ground, the airplane nosed over, and it came to rest inverted on the grass runway. The right wing and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. Other than a possibly obstructed pitot tube, the pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pitot-static system was unable to be functionally tested due to the pitot-static system being damaged in the accident sequence. A post-accident examination of the pitot-tube and the pitot-static tubing did not reveal any blockage or obstruction; however, it is possible it was dislodged during the impact sequence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N164GR
- Reported as
- Rocky Mountain Kitplanes S-6S
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 11051709
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 695
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- Priv · Marvel, AR
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NA · Private, runway 36, 1,950 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 12, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 315 total · 28.9 in this make and model · 240 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KSGT, 18 nm away
- METAR
- KSGT 231956Z AUTO 07006KT 10SM OVC027 26/21
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 MB 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.