Aves Douglas James RV 6 N676DT

Summary

On 2 September 2016 at about 15:00 local time, a Aves Douglas James RV 6 registered N676DT was involved in an accident near Viborg, South Dakota, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 September 2016 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Viborg, South Dakota, United States

Nearest airport

Marv Skie-Lincoln County (Y14)

Coordinates

43.1708, -97.3006

Aircraft

Aves Douglas James RV 6

Registration

N676DT

Category

Airplane

Year built

1996

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tea → Tea

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16FA344

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack, an aerodynamic stall, and subsequent flat spin into terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot and the passenger, his 14-year-old granddaughter who wanted to become a pilot, were making a local flight in the airplane. No radar or GPS track information was found for the flight. A witness heard the airplane's engine "sputtering" before the airplane impacted the ground in a cornfield. A postimpact fire consumed the engine cowling, cockpit, fuselage, and the forward portion of the empennage. Damage to the airplane, the crop, and marks on the ground indicated that the airplane impacted in a slightly nose-low and left-wing-low attitude with no forward airspeed, consistent with a relatively flat spin. The propeller remained attached to the engine and was embedded in the soil and positioned horizontally. The propeller blades were slightly bent aft and did not exhibit any leading-edge damage, consistent with minimal, if any, power being produced by the engine during impact. No mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were found with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation. However, the examination was limited by the extensive postcrash fire damage. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent flat spin into terrain. Given the witness report of a "sputtering" engine and the propeller signatures consistent with the engine not producing power at impact, it is likely that the engine lost power before impact. However, it could not be determined whether the engine lost power before the loss of control or whether the pilot intentionally reduced power during the descent. The14-year-old passenger was seated in the left seat, and the pilot was seated in the right seat. Although the family reported that the flight was not instructional, it is possible that the pilot allowed the passenger to manipulate the flight controls. Regardless of which occupant was manipulating the flight controls, the pilot was the only certificated pilot on board and was responsible for the safety of the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.