Vans VANS RV-6 accident near Cullman, AL
On January 5, 2020, a Vans VANS RV-6 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cullman, AL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 5, 2020
- Place
- Cullman, AL
- Aircraft
- Vans VANS RV-6 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.273°N, 86.858°W
- NTSB ID
- 20200105X53312
Official records · ERA20FA063
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On January 5, 2020, about 1243 central standard time, an experimental, amateur-built Vans RV-6, N420PW, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Cullman, Alabama. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. A review of airport surveillance video revealed that the pilot and passenger arrived about 1230. At 1240, the airplane was seen on the taxiway, where it stopped for a moment before continuing to the active runway. At 1242, the airplane was seen climbing from runway 02, when the video stopped recording. According to witnesses, the airplane taxied to runway 02 and began the takeoff roll. During the initial climb, when the airplane reached about 350 ft above the ground, a loud “pop” was heard. The witnesses watched as the airplane entered an immediate “sharp left banking turn” in what appeared to be an attempt to return to the airport. The airplane “stalled and went into a left spiral downward turn.” The airplane completed two turns before colliding with the ground on airport property adjacent the taxiway. Several other witness described a similar series of events, including the engine making a “pop” noise and/or a loss of engine power prior to the airplane making a steep turn back toward the runway before descending to the ground. The airport authorities and witnesses responded immediately to the accident scene. AIRPLANE INFORMATION Review of the airplane’s maintenance records revealed that it’s most recent condition inspection was completed in 2014. T
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power during the initial climb. Also causal was the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while attempting to return to the runway after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin, loss of control, and impact with terrain.
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Browse: Alabama · 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.
