- Date
- June 14, 2019, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Culpepper, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N696SHVans Vans Acft RV 6
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190614008879A
- Case key
- 99654
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 directional control during takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a ground loop.
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 pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust, so she added more aileron input to counteract it, but the "gust died down." The airplane then fishtailed, so she attempted to abort the takeoff by reducing power and applying brakes, but the airplane veered right. Despite applying brakes to stop the veer, the left wing settled to the ground, and the airplane came to a stop at the side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing aft spar and engine mounts. 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 of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the takeoff roll, she added more aileron input to counteract a wind gust but just as quickly, the "crosswind died off." The airplane fishtailed so she aborted the takeoff and applied brakes, but the airplane veered right and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing aft spar and engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 5 minutes prior to the accident, the wind was from 310° at 9 knots, gusting 17 knots. The airplane departed on runway 04.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N696SH
- Reported as
- Vans Vans Acft RV 6 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 22755
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 1,032.9
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 9, 2019
- Departed
- CJR · Culpepper, VA
- Destination
- CJR · Culpepper, VA
- Airport
- CJR · Culpeper Rgnl, runway 04, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, 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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 27, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,358 total · 184 in this make and model · 2,935 as pilot in command · 93 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KCJR
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 19, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 32.5 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.