# NTSB ERA19TA277: Vans RV 6, N12033, Lakeland, FL, September 23, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Final report - Date: September 23, 2019, 11:57 local (15:57 UTC) - Place: Lakeland, FL - Coordinates: 27.931388, -82.043334 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9314&lon=-82.0433&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA - ORL FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 100312 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA19TA277 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100312/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100312 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19TA277 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inability to maintain control due to passenger interference. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Moody Wallace W RV-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=056025R), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Passenger (probable cause); cases with it: [Moody Wallace W RV-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=056025R), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Moody Wallace W RV-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=056025R), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Moody Wallace W RV-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=056025R), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Moody Wallace W RV-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=056025R), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot, who was also a flight instructor, stated that the airplane owner contacted him for tailwheel instruction in his recently purchased airplane. The owner did not hold a pilot certificate, but the pilot agreed to fly the airplane with the owner as a passenger. The pilot stated that, during landing approach, “the airplane banked to the left and pitch[ed] down about 8 or 10 degrees.” The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane, but the controls were “very stiff.” He recalled heading toward the trees and tried again to move the controls; this time, the airplane pitched up slightly, but not enough to slow the descent. The airplane impacted trees and the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The pilot reported that he thought the passenger applied control inputs during landing, which resulted in his inability to control the airplane. He stated that the airplane “definitely did not stall.” He also reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The owner of the airplane did not provide a statement regarding the accident. ## Factual narrative On September 23, 2019, about 1157 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built RV-6, N12033, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Lakeland, Florida. The pilot received serious injuries; the passenger was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot, who was also a flight instructor, stated that the airplane owner contacted him for tailwheel instruction in his recently-purchased RV-6. The owner did not hold a pilot certificate, but the pilot agreed to fly the airplane with the owner as a passenger. The pilot performed a preflight inspection with no anomalies noted and departed on a local flight before returning to the airport. The pilot performed one go-around due to a crosswind, and during the subsequent landing approach, “the airplane banked to the left and pitch[ed] down about 8 or 10 degrees.” The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane, but the controls were “very stiff.” He recalled heading toward the trees and tried again to move the controls; this time, the airplane pitched up slightly, but not enough to slow the descent. The airplane impacted trees and the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The pilot reported that he thought the passenger applied control inputs to maneuver the airplane during landing, which resulted in his inability to control the airplane. He stated that the airplane “definitely did not stall.” He also reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The owner of the airplane did not provide a statement regarding the accident. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector confirmed flight control continuity from the cockpit controls to the elevator and ailerons. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N12033](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N12033), registered now, S/N 1, built 1995 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Vans RV 6 (Undesignat) - Registry model: [Moody Wallace W RV-6](https://openairdocs.org/model/moody-wallace-w-rv-6) (registry code 056025R) (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: 1 - Year built: 1995 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 SERIES reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: ZPH, Zephyrhills, FL - Destination: X49, Lakeland, FL - Airport: X49, South Lakeland Airport, runway 32, 2,412 × 100 ft, grass/turf - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 78; injuries: serious; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: basicmed; seat: left; flight hours: 35,000 total, 49 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 80° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,700 ft broken - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 30.05 inHg - Observed at: LAL, 4 nm away ## 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 20190923018259A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190923018259A), Sep 23, 2019: Moody Wallace W RV-6, Mulberry, FL, Destroyed. During the approach to the north runway, the airplane made an abrupt left turn and nose down movement. When the PIC attempted to regain control of the… ## Other investigations on N12033 (1) 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. - [NTSB LAX97LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA040), Nov 14, 1996: Moody RV-6 (N12033), Cottonwood, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s). ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 4, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100312. 4.0 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 155 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12113542&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record-NTSB%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 266 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12113719&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record-Pilot_Statements_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 172 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12115016&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record-FAA%20Santiago%20-%20ERA19LA277-Rel.pdf - Investigative photographs (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 3.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12112115&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigative%20Photographs%20-%20ERA19TA277-Rel.pdf 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.