# NTSB MIA04LA012: Headburg RV6, N331JH, Wellington, FL, October 26, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 26, 2003, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC) - Place: Wellington, FL - Coordinates: 26.646389, -80.294166 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.6464&lon=-80.2942&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 28, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 58254 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA04LA012 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58254/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA04LA012 ## Probable cause the failure of the dual student pilot to maintain airspeed, and the CFI to properly supervise the dual student, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and subsequent impact with an embankment, during a simulated loss of engine power. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - emergency procedure - simulated, dual student - airspeed(vs) - not maintained, dual student (cause) - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - stall - inadvertent, dual student - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - dirt bank/rising embankment (contributing factor) ## Analysis During an instructional flight the certified flight instructor (CFI) gave the student a simulating loss of engine power at an altitude of 3,500 feet, with the intent that a landing would be performed to the airport's runway. When rolling out of a right turn from base to final, at an altitude of 400 feet, and about 1/4 of a mile from the runway, the airplane stalled, impacting with an embankment. ## Factual narrative On October 26, 2003, about 1515 eastern standard time, a homebuilt Headburg RV-6, N331JH, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 local instructional flight, impacted with an embankment while on final approach, short of runway 15, at the Wellington Aero Club Airport, Wellington, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial-rated pilot/certified flight instructor (CFI), and commercial-rated dual student reported no injuries. The flight had departed from the Wellington Aero Club Airport, the same day, at 1430. According to the CFI, he had given the student a simulated loss of engine power, and forced landing, which started at an altitude of 3,500 feet, with the intent that a landing would be performed to the airport's runway. After rolling out of a right turn from base to final, at an altitude of 400 feet, and about 1/4 of a mile from the runway, according to the CFI "[the] aircraft stalled...then snapped to the left." The CFI said that he felt the student was recovering, but that he (student) had not applied enough rudder, so the CFI added more rudder. The airplane leveled, but had lost too much altitude to allow recovery and impacted with the embankment. The CFI also indicated that there was a crosswind of about 45 degrees from the left. According to the FAA inspector that went to the accident scene, the CFI said to him, the student stalled the airplane when close to the ground, which resulted in a nose down impact into the embankment. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N331JH](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N331JH-2005-06-17), registration cancelled 2005-06-17, S/N 60594, built 2003 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Headburg RV6 - Registry model: [Headberg James R RV6A](https://openairdocs.org/model/headberg-james-r-rv6a) (registry code 05615I3) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360-A1A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-a1a) (registry code 41594, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 60594 - Airframe hours: 85 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, July 16, 2003, 85 hours before - Departed: FD38, Wellington, FL - Destination: FD38 - Airport: FD38, Wellington Aero Club, runway 15, 4,000 × 150 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 64; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review January 9, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 6,596 total, 13 in this make and model, 5,886 as pilot in command, 122 in the last 90 days, 29 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 59; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review September 7, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 1,069 total, 2 in this make and model, 916 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 110° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: PBI, 11 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 20031026037529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031026037529A), Oct 26, 2003: Amtr RV6A, Wellington, FL, Substantial damage. (-23) CFI yoder was giving headberg dual instruction. Student headberg was manipulating the controls during a simulated loss of power landing. CFI allowed… 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.