Vans RV 6 accident near Ridgefield, WA
On April 29, 2019, a Vans RV 6 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Ridgefield, WA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- April 29, 2019
- Place
- Ridgefield, WA
- Aircraft
- Vans RV 6 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 45.790°N, 122.691°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190429X04325
Official records · WPR19FA124
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 29, 2019, about 1413 Pacific daylight time, a Vans Aircraft RV-6 airplane, N90LK, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near La Center, Washington. The pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to the pilot's wife, the purpose of the flight was to conduct the pilot's flight review, and he was scheduled to meet the instructor at the airport about 1330. The instructor’s daughter reported that it was common for him to fly to Daybreak Airport (WA46), La Center, Washington, for landing and takeoff practice. About 1515, a pilot landing at WA46 saw airplane wreckage in a pond located under the final approach path to runway 31. A review of radar data at about the time of the accident and in the area of WA46 located two targets. One was determined to be the accident airplane, and the other was that of the airplane that located and reported the wreckage. The first radar return with altitude data was recorded at 1404:33 at an altitude of 1,100 ft, about 1/2-mile northeast of Grove Field (1W1), Camas, Washington. The data showed that the airplane was on a northerly heading for about 11 miles before it turned west, directly toward W46. The data showed that the airplane flew parallel to the runway at WA46 at an altitude of 2,500 ft mean sea level (msl). As shown in figure 2, the airplane completed a descending 180° left turn and entered a left downwind for runway 31, where it leveled off at an altitude of about 500 ft above
Probable cause
The pilots' inadvertent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack following an inflight collision with a bird.
More accidents in WA
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Sep 4, 2022
- Cessna 208B, Oct 8, 2007
- Cessna 172P, Dec 7, 1991
- Piper PA-32-260, Jul 29, 2001
- Beech A60, Nov 21, 1992
Browse: Washington · Vans aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
