# NTSB WPR23LA230: Vans RV6A, N60605, Mimbres, NM, June 11, 2023

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: June 11, 2023, 17:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place: Mimbres, NM · private airpark
- Coordinates: 32.814164, -107.93999 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8142&lon=-107.9400&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 192404
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR23LA230
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/192404/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=192404
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA230

## Probable cause

The pilot’s inflight loss of control while landing with wind gusts that resulted in a hard landing and subsequent nose over.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Croft Stanton W VANS RV6A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05610WM), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Wind: gusts](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [Croft Stanton W VANS RV6A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045/cases.md?model=05610WM), [All aircraft, 1,199 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [Croft Stanton W VANS RV6A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=05610WM), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Croft Stanton W VANS RV6A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=05610WM), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Croft Stanton W VANS RV6A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=05610WM), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Croft Stanton W VANS RV6A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=05610WM), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md)

## Analysis

Prior to landing, the pilot made a low pass from north to south to check the windsock, which indicated a crosswind from the southwest; it was stable and not flapping and favored runway 16. During the landing flare, the airplane was struck by a gust of wind and the nose rose upward at a steep angle and then slammed back onto the ground. The nose wheel landing gear bent, and as the airplane slid down the runway the bent nose landing gear dug into the ground and the airplane flipped onto its back. The pilot reported that there was no evidence of any preexisting mechanical malfunction with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N60605](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N60605), registered now, S/N 25379, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: VANS RV6A
- Registry model: [Croft Stanton W VANS RV6A](https://openairdocs.org/model/croft-stanton-w-vans-rv6a) (registry code 05610WM) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 25379
- Year built: 2001
- Airframe hours: 1697
- Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1A 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, October 30, 2022, 10 hours before
- Departed: 0E0, Moriarty, NM
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: NM69, Casas Adobes Airpark, runway 16, 3,800 × 30 ft, dirt
- Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 76; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 25, 2021; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 3,834 total, 1,697 in this make and model, 3,780 as pilot in command, 4 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 230° at 13 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 31 °F
- Altimeter: 29.66 inHg
- Observed at: KSVC, 16 nm away
- METAR: KSVC 112315Z AUTO 21016G26KT 10SM CLR 30/M01 A2999 RMK AO2 T02961007

## 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 20230611007009A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230611007009A), Jun 11, 2023: Croft Stanton W VANS RV6A, Mimbres, NM, Substantial damage. On June 11, 2023, at approximately 1515 MDT, a RV-6A, single engine airplane, had a hard landing acciident at NM69 (casa Adobes airpark), mimbras, NM. The…

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=192404. 9.0 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15732678&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 99 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15720540&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N60605%20Crash%20at%20NM69-Rel.pdf
- Reports from federal agencies - pilot roc (NTSB) (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 64 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15738991&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=RoC%20(NTSB)-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 4, PDF, 6 pages, 6.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15732789&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos_Redacted-Rel.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.

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