- Date
- June 20, 2006, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hesperia, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N31RMRonald D. Murray RV-6A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20060620014699A
- Case key
- 63964
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 inadequate in-flight planning and selection of the wrong runway, which resulted in a downwind landing, the pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and a runway overrun.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane overran the runway after landing and impacted the airport perimeter fence. After entering the destination airport environment, the pilot requested airport advisories for landing on Universal Communications (UNICOM), but received no answer. He decided to land on runway 3 and asked his passenger to confirm the wind direction. After looking out the window, the passenger confirmed the wind direction and agreed with the pilot's decision to land on runway 3. During the landing flare, the pilot realized that he had landed the airplane long and fast due to a tailwind condition. He was unable to stop the airplane before the end of the runway, and it collided with the airport perimeter fence. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. A local area airport, 24 nautical miles from the accident airport, reported winds from 240 degrees at 10 knots.
Factual narrative
On June 20, 2006, about 1130 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Murray RV-6A, N31RM, overran runway 3 after landing at Hesperia Airport, Hesperia, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight departed Apple Valley, California, about 1100, with a planned destination of Hesperia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot submitted a written report. After arriving in the airport environment, he requested airport advisories via Universal Communications (UNICOM), but received no response. He decided to land on runway 3 and asked his passenger to confirm the wind conditions. The passenger looked out the right window to verify the wind direction and agreed with the pilot's decision to land on runway 3. The airplane touched down long and fast, and the pilot realized that he was landing with a tailwind. It was too late for him to stop before the end of the runway and the airplane ran into the airport perimeter fence.
The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight or subsequent landing.
Ontario Airport, Ontario, California, located 24 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, reported winds from 240 degrees at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31RM
- Reported as
- Ronald D. Murray RV-6A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 22882
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roger Graham
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- APV · Apple Valley, CA
- Destination
- L26 · Hesperia, CA
- Airport
- L26 · Hesperia, runway 3, 3,910 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 71
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,643 total · 10 in this make and model · 1,643 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- ONT, 24 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.