# NTSB DEN05LA142: Shea Vans RV6A, N985JS, Glendo, WY, September 18, 2005

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: September 18, 2005, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place: Glendo, WY
- Coordinates: 42.51889, -105.01889
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5189&lon=-105.0189&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious
- Status: Completed, report February 28, 2006
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Parties: FAA Flight Standards Field Office
- NTSB case key (mKey): 62488
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN05LA142
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/62488/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN05LA142

## Probable cause

failure of the nose gear during the landing roll.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Nose over, landing - roll
  - landing gear,nose gear - failure (cause)

## Analysis

The pilot said he had flown to a community sponsored fly-in. He recalled making a normal landing, but that is all he remembered. Witnesses told him that during the landing roll, the nose gear failed and the airplane nosed over onto its canopy.

## Factual narrative

On September 18, 2005, approximately 1230 mountain daylight time, a Shea Vans RV6A, N985JS, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain at the Thomas Memorial Airport (76V), Glendo, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, without a flight plan. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight originated at Glendo, Wyoming, approximately 1145.

According to the accident report submitted by the pilot, he stated, he had flown from Converse County Airport (DGW) in Douglas, Wyoming, to a community sponsored fly-in at the Thomas Memorial Airport (76V) Glendo, Wyoming. The pilot stated, "I recall making a normal landing. Witnesses told me that after landing, about 30-50 feet into the landing roll, the nose gear failed causing the aircraft to flip over onto the canopy."

According to an FAA inspector who examined the airplane, the left and right wingtips were crushed, the propeller was bent, the left side of the fuselage behind the wing was buckled, the horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, and rudder were wrinkled, the canopy was destroyed, and the nose gear was destroyed.

According to the pilot, the weather at the time of the accident was winds from 090 at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 85 degrees F., dew point 31 degrees F., and altimeter setting 30.10 inches of mercury.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N985JS](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N985JS-2018-03-26), registration cancelled 2018-03-26, S/N 24065, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Shea Vans RV6A
- Registry model: [Shea John RV-6A](https://openairdocs.org/model/shea-john-rv-6a) (registry code 05610L7) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 02465
- Airframe hours: 340
- Engines: Lycoming O-320-D2A 160 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Air race/show, Part 91
- Registered owner: John Shea
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, August 1, 2005, 19.6 hours before
- Departed: 76V, Glendo, WY
- Destination: 76V, Glendo, WY
- Airport: 76V, Thomas memorial Airport, runway 34, 4,397 × 70 ft, dirt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 58; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review November 1, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 440 total, 340 in this make and model, 396 as pilot in command, 32 in the last 90 days, 19 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20050918021329A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050918021329A), Sep 18, 2005: Amtr RV6A, Glendo, WY, Substantial damage. (-23) During a spot landing the nose wheel struck the runway causing the nose wheel to fail. The aircraft flipped on its top causing substantial damage.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.