- Date
- June 13, 1999, 16:42 local (20:42 UTC)
- Place
- Jeannette, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N81081Flaherty RV-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990613046019A
- Case key
- 46597
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-in-command misjudged altitude during a simulated forced landing.
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 stated that he was performing a simulated forced landing to Runway 20. On short final approach, with idle power, the airplane experienced a downdraft. He added power, but the left wing struck a small hill located at the approach end of the runway. At an airport approximately 13 miles away, at 1653, the reported winds were from 160 degrees at 5 knots.
Factual narrative
On June 13, 1999, about 1642 Eastern Daylight Time, a homebuilt RV-6, N81081, was substantially damaged during a landing at Greensburg Jeannette Regional Airport, Jeannette, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot and pilot rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from the Mount Pleasant/Scottdale Airport, Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that he was performing a simulated forced landing to Runway 20. On short final approach, with idle power, the airplane experience a downdraft. The pilot added power, but the left wing struck a small hill located at the approach end of the runway, and the airplane came to rest on the runway.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The Inspector observed structural damage to both wings and the fuselage.
At an airport approximately 13 miles away, at 1653, the reported winds were from 160 degrees at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81081
- Reported as
- Flaherty RV-6
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 20333
- Airframe hours
- 275
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dale Lochinger
- Registered owner
- William Flaherty
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 10, 1999 · 68 hours before
- Departed
- P45 · Mount Pleasant, PA
- Destination
- NONE
- Airport
- 5G8 · Greensburg Jeannette Apt., runway 20, 2,605 × 36 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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 390 total · 70 in this make and model · 350 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AGC, 13 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.