- Date
- August 4, 2018, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Greeley, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N56LKVans RV6
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180804010009A
- Case key
- 98009
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 exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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, during approach, the airplane encountered the usual amount of sink, so he added power but applied too much back stick. The airplane aerodynamically stalled, landed hard, and then came to rest 1,500 ft down the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during approach, he airplane encountered the usual amount of sink, he added power, but applied too much back stick. The airplane aerodynamically stalled, landed hard, and the airplane came to rest 1,500 ft down the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N56LK
- Reported as
- Vans RV6 (A)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 123
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 1,300
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 1, 2018
- Departed
- FTG · Denver, CO
- Destination
- GXY · Greeley, CO
- Airport
- GXY · Greeley-Weld County, runway 10, 5,801 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS
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
- 85
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 30, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6,866.3 total · 25.7 in this make and model · 6,393.6 as pilot in command · 25.7 in the last 90 days · 4.1 in the last 30 days · 0.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KGXY, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 31, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.