Radford RV-6 N650RV

Summary

On 11 March 2011 at about 16:00 local time, a Radford RV-6 registered N650RV, operated by Radford Joseph R, was involved in an accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 March 2011 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

36.1703, -112.2731

Aircraft

Radford RV-6

Registration

N650RV

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Radford Joseph R

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tusayan → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11FA490

1 person died.

The pilot's intentional flight into terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Local law enforcement representatives reported that the pilot was involved in an argument with his wife the day before the accident. They further reported that early in the morning on the day of the accident, the pilot told an individual, referred to by the police as his girlfriend, that he was going to kill himself. About 0615, the pilot was seen at the airport where the airplane was based, and, by the time that the airport's air traffic control tower began operation at 0630, the pilot had already departed in the airplane. The pilot flew to another airport, landed, purchased 10 gallons of fuel, and departed about 0820. According to recorded radar track data, the airplane flew northwest for about 10 minutes before radar contact was lost. A search was conducted; however, the airplane was not immediately located and was classified as missing until May 21, 2015, when hikers found the wreckage. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed damage consistent with controlled flight into terrain. The pilot's remains were located in the wreckage. According to the autopsy report, the pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries with the manner of death being suicide.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.