Amateur-built RV-6 accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 25, 2009
On July 25, 2009 at about 5:30 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-6, registered N56SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Witman Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the rudder pedal which resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain directional control of the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2009 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Witman Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-6
- Registration
- N56SP · registry record · serial 23088
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing roll the right rudder pedal welds failed. The airplane turned to the left into the wind and departed the left side of the runway. Because he had no right rudder or right brake authority, the pilot applied left rudder and brake in order to avoid a ditch which paralleled the runway. The right main gear collapsed and the firewall was damaged. Inspection of the airplane revealed the left seat, right rudder pedal had failed. The rudder pedals were tubular and the upper welds where the vertical tubes are connected to the cross-member had failed.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 670 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 31, 2009; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MUT Muscatine IA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36L, 8,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.67 inHg
- Observation at 5:27 pm from OSH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N56SP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.