Stevens R P/McCright D W VANS RV-6 N16DD
13 August 2011 · Conroe, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 13 August 2011 at about 16:30 local time, a Stevens R P/McCright D W VANS RV-6 registered N16DD, operated by Knab Douglas J, was involved in an accident near Conroe, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Conroe, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 30.9025, -95.5817
- Aircraft
- Stevens R P/McCright D W VANS RV-6
- Registration
- N16DD
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Knab Douglas J
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- NTSB number
- CEN11LA573
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot of the RV-6 airplane to maintain clearance from the RV-8 airplane while practicing formation flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The RV-6 collided with the RV-8 from below while maneuvering during day visual meteorological conditions. The RV-6 descended uncontrolled to ground impact, and the pilot of the RV-8 made a forced landing in a field. The two airplanes were part of group of seven airplanes practicing formation flight maneuvers for an upcoming airshow. According to the pilot of the RV-8, the RV-6 and another airplane were instructed to move into trail positions behind the RV-8. He saw the two airplanes drift back and out of view. About 5 seconds later, the pilot of the RV-8 heard a loud bang and immediately his airplane's engine stopped operating. He did not see the RV-6. The pilot of the other airplane that was moving into the trail position with the RV-6 said that the RV-6 was supposed to be the last airplane in this formation, but instead it moved directly behind the RV-8. The pilot thought that maybe the RV-6 pilot forgot which slot he was supposed to take, so he let the RV-6 have the position and moved behind the RV-6. Shortly after, he observed the RV-6 drift beneath and then climb up and collide with the RV-8. The collision was not violent. He then saw the two airplanes separate, and the RV-6 slowly nosed over into a 60-degree nose-down descent toward the ground. He reported that the pilot of the RV-6 "didn't seem in control of his airplane" before the collision and might have been incapacitated. However, he did not observe anything unusual with the pilot of the RV-6 that would have indicated a possible medical condition before or during the flight. Autopsy and toxicological testing of the RV-6 pilot revealed no evidence of impairment or incapacitation. Although incapacitation or impairment of the RV-6 pilot could explain why he failed to maintain clearance from the RV-8, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether this occurred.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens R P/McCright D W VANS RV-6 | N16DD | Knab Douglas J | Substantial |
| Knab Douglas J RV-8 | N189DK | Stevens Richard P | Destroyed |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Feb 2011 | Cessna 172N | Andrews, Texas, United States | Stephan Warren Company | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 2011 | Cessna 172 | Greenville, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 2011 | Cessna 310K | Angleton, Texas, United States | Arthur Hale Consulting/Instruction, LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 Nov 2011 | Cessna 305A | Fredericksburg, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2011 | Fisher LANCAIR | Azle, Texas, United States | Adastral LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 2011 | Mooney M20K | Cresson, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |