Radford RV-6 accident near Grand Canyon, AZ
On March 11, 2011, a Radford RV-6 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Grand Canyon, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 11, 2011
- Place
- Grand Canyon, AZ
- Aircraft
- Radford RV-6 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 36.170°N, 112.273°W
- NTSB ID
- 20110322X41958
Official records · WPR11FA490
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
***This report was modified on March 7, 2016. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** On March 11, 2011, about 0900 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built Radford RV-6, N650RV, collided with the ground while maneuvering in the vicinity of the South Rim Recreation area, Grand Canyon, Arizona. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to the pilot, and operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight. The flight originated from Tusayan, Arizona, about 0820, and no flight plan was filed. There was no report of a sustained emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal. According to the Glendale, Arizona, Police Department, the pilot was involved in an argument with his wife on the day before the accident. On the morning of March 11, 2011, he was involved in a telephone conversation with an individual that the police report referred to as his girlfriend. During that phone conversation, the pilot stated that he was going to kill himself. About 0615 that morning, the pilot was seen at the Glendale Airport, and when Glendale Tower began operation at 0630, the pilot had already departed. After departure, he flew to Tusayan, Arizona, where he landed and took on 10 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel, prior to departing there at 0820. According to recorded radar tracking data, it appears that the pilot turned off his transponder about one minute after takeoff, as all radar data afte
Probable cause
The pilot's intentional flight into terrain.
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Browse: Arizona
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
