Powell VANS RV-6A N551MP

Summary

On 7 April 2008 at about 21:30 local time, a Powell VANS RV-6A registered N551MP was involved in an accident near French Lick, Indiana, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 April 2008 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

French Lick, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

French Lick (FRH)

Coordinates

38.5061, -86.6367

Aircraft

Powell VANS RV-6A

Registration

N551MP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lagrange → Bolingbrook

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI08CA099

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to compensate for the crosswind condition and maintain control of the airplane. A factor was the crosswind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was landing the amateur-built, experimental airplane on runway 26 with the local winds reported as 260 degrees at 4 knots. He reported that as the airplane was touching down, the left wing came up and the right wing and nose wheel touched down on the runway at the same time. The right wingtip sustained substantial damage and the nose gear folded under the fuselage. The pilot reported there was a "valley on either side of the runway" which "funneled a crosswind" of greater velocity than the winds of the surrounding area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.