- Date
- July 6, 1998, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hunter, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N67KHRoss RV6A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 31, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980706015979A
- Case key
- 39581
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 compensation for wind conditions, and failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. The gusty/variable wind condition was a related factor.
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 pilot was landing uphill on a gravel runway with variable/gusty winds. He reported the airplane encountered a gust of wind after touchdown, which raised the left wing. The pilot was unable to regain directional control before the airplane departed the runway. The terrain on the right side of the runway dropped below the level of the runway, and the airplane became momentarily airborne as it headed toward trees at runway height. Subsequently, it collided with the trees and was damaged.
Factual narrative
On July 6, 1998, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt RV6A, N67KH, was substantially damaged while landing at the Hunter Mountain Airport, Hunter, New York. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In an interview, the pilot reported he was conducting practice short field landings to the runway, landing to the north. He had departed about 1250, and conducted one touch and go. The second approach was planned as a full stop landing.
In the NTSB Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot stated:
"...The left wing was picked up by a strong gust of wind from the S.W. [Southwest], which banked the plane right toward the tree line - close to runway. Tried left rudder and aileron control with full power, but did not have enough speed to keep the plane from trees on right. I cut ignition and master switch on contact....
During the interview, the pilot reported that due to the close proximity of the trees to the side of the runway, he had insufficient time to point the airplane down the runway prior to making contact with the trees. He added that as the airplane departed the runway to the right, the terrain dropped down. The airplane remained at runway height as it struck the trees.
The pilot reported the winds had been variable at about 5 knots with gusts to 10 knots.
The pilot reported that he had operated in and out of the airport for 8 years without a problem. The airport runway was a one-way runway, with landing uphill, and takeoffs downhill, unless there were strong winds from the south.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67KH
- Reported as
- Ross RV6A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 21441
- Airframe hours
- 350
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert A. Hemm
- Registered owner
- Jeanaire Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1997 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- 97NY
- Airport
- 97NY · Hunter Mountain, runway 36, 2,550 × 75 ft, gravel
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
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 771 total · 310 in this make and model · 660 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.