# NTSB LAX02LA067: Farrand Vans RV6, N164DF, San Jose, CA, January 10, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 10, 2002, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC) - Place: San Jose, CA - Coordinates: 37.316665, -121.821945 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3167&lon=-121.8219&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 1, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION - NTSB case key (mKey): 54044 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX02LA067 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54044/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54044 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02LA067 ## Probable cause Failure of the pilot to sufficiently slow the airplane prior to exiting the runway, which lead to the left main landing gear collapsing and a subsequent ground loop. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - taxispeed - excessive, pilot in command (cause) - ground loop/swerve - encountered - Gear collapsed, landing - roll ## Analysis On the landing rollout the airplane exited the runway, collapsing the left main landing gear, and coming to rest after it had ground looped. The pilot had been practicing full stop landings and his last landing was the accident landing. On the landing rollout the pilot did not slow down enough to exit the runway. Skid marks were observed at the intersection of taxiway Delta and runway 31L where he had attempted to exit. The airplane's landing gear system was inspected with no mechanical anomalies noted. ## Factual narrative On January 10, 2002, at 1345 hours Pacific standard time, an experimental Farrand Vans RV6, N164DF, ground looped on the landing rollout on runway 31L at the Reid-Hillview of Santa Clara County Airport, San Jose, California. The airplane was operated by the pilot/owner under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight and no flight plan had been filed. The Safety Board Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that he had been practicing full stop landings. The sixth landing was the accident landing. He stated that there were no problems encountered during the landing. However, on the landing rollout, he came up on the brakes and the "tailwheel came around on him." The airplane ground looped and the left main landing gear collapsed. The pilot further indicated that he observed that the bolt from the left landing gear attachment was not in place and had most likely fallen out at some point, which lead to the left main landing collapsing during the turn to exit the runway. In the pilot's written statement to the Safety Board, he stated that on rollout, with the tailwheel on the ground, he applied the brakes to slow down. He stated that he was almost at a full stop before turning off the runway and "lost control because the left gear failed . . . . " The left landing gear collapsed and the airplane pivoted around the left wheel and slid into the dirt. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane on-scene. There were no discrepancies observed with the left main landing gear, landing gear attachment assembly, or the associated bolt. He did note that there were skid marks at intersection Delta where the airplane attempted to exit the runway. The FAA inspector also interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that he probably departed the runway at a high speed, and that the landing gear was not designed to take that great of a side load given the conditions and the relatively weak design of the landing gear attachment. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION On the day of the accident the airport manager had the runway inspected for foreign debris on the runway and did not find a bolt. The FAA conducted a subsequent search, and they also did not find the landing gear attachment bolt. Photographs taken by the airport manager of the accident airplane where it came to rest clearly show that the landing gear attachment bolt was in place. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N164DF](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N164DF), registered now, S/N 24606, built 1999 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Farrand Vans RV6 - Registry model: [Farrand Donald VANS ACFT RV6A](https://openairdocs.org/model/farrand-donald-vans-acft-rv6a) (registry code 0560435) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-series) (registry code 41575, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 24606 - Airframe hours: 255 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Richard A. Wildman - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, April 23, 2001, 87 hours before - Departed: RHV, San Jose, CA - Destination: RHV, San Jose, CA - Airport: RHV, Reid-Hillview Of Santa Clara C, runway 31L, 3,099 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review December 3, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 1,571 total, 14 in this make and model, 1,419 as pilot in command, 24 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 290° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 30.23 inHg - Observed at: RHV ## 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 20020110001229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020110001229A), Jan 10, 2002: Amtr RV6, San Jose, CA, No damage. (-23) Aircraft ground looped during landing roll-out on runway 31L as the pilot exited the runway at too high speed. The left landing gear collapsed causing… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54044. 809 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 360 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40378497&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Runway Information (item 2, .PDF, 161 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40164772&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Runway%20Information-Master.PDF - Photo 1. Skid mark on runway. (Photo provided by airport manager.) (item 3, .PDF, 110 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40165356&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201.%20%20Skid%20mark%20on%20runway.%20%20(Photo%20provided%20by%20airport%20manager.)-Master.PDF - Photo 2. Landing gear attachment with bolt in place. (Photo provided by airport manager.) (item 4, .PDF, 177 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40165357&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202.%20%20Landing%20gear%20attachment%20with%20bolt%20in%20place.%20%20(Photo%20provided%20by%20airport%20manager.)-Master.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.