Hackney VANS RV-6A N528DH

Summary

On 14 December 2003 at about 19:15 local time, a Hackney VANS RV-6A registered N528DH, operated by Billy R. Gee, was involved in an accident near Carthage, Texas, 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

14 December 2003 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Carthage, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Panola County Airport (4F2)

Coordinates

32.1758, -94.2986

Aircraft

Hackney VANS RV-6A

Registration

N528DH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Billy R. Gee

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marshall → Carthage

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW04LA040

2 people died.

The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall,

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight arrived at the airport after one hour of touch and go landings at a another nearby airport. The flight reported on Unicom being established on the downwind for runway 35. Witnesses reported that following the approach, the airplane appeared to have touched down on runway 35. The airplane was then observed climbing through 300 or 400 feet agl, and then the aircraft "stalled, the nose dropped to about 30 degrees below the horizon, and the airplane entered a right spin." Another witness reported that the engine lost power and the flight initiated a right 180-degree turn to attempt to return to the airport. The airplane impacted the ground on a heading nearly the opposite of the takeoff heading in a nearly level attitude, bounced once and came to rest about 25 feet beyond the point of initial impact on a measured heading of 185 degrees, approximately 1,000 feet to the east of the centerline of runway 35. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the damage was consistent with that of a nearly level attitude, at a high rate of descent, in a slight right turn. Examination of the engine revealed that no fuel was found in the carburetor, the gascolator, or the fuel line feeding the engine. The reason for the reported fuel starvation could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.