Amateur-built RV6 accident near Searcy, Arkansas, December 12, 2023
On December 12, 2023, a 2002 amateur-built RV6, registered N113DT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Searcy, Arkansas (Searcy Municipal Airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-rated passenger’s reported failure to maintain control during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 2023
- Place
- Searcy, Arkansas · Searcy Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV6 A, built 2002
- Registration
- N113DT · registry record · serial 25479
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after he had landed the airplane, the pilot-rated passenger requested to take the flight controls and fly the airplane around the traffic pattern. The pilot agreed. The pilot stated that the night flight in the traffic pattern was satisfactory, but when the passenger turned onto the final approach, they were low and slow. The pilot told the passenger to perform a go-around and he applied full throttle, but the left wing and left tire contacted the runway. The pilot reported that the passenger pulled back on the yoke and the airplane bounced back into the air. The airplane impacted the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lights, stalled, impacted the ground on the main landing gear, skidded about 20 ft, and flipped over. The passenger stated that he does not recall flying the airplane and his last memory is of the ambulance ride to the hospital. The vertical stabilizer and left-wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact anomalies. Based on the pilot’s statement, it is likely that the passenger failed to maintain control during the landing.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Roll over during landing
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 137 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 96 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 6, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private, sport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: sport pilot; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 754 hours in all; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 702 as pilot in command; 299 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 27, 2023
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 436 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320E3D (piston); 490 hours total
The flight
- Runway 01, 6,008 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from KSRC
Weather report (METAR): KSRC 120056Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 04/M02 A3028
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on February 20, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Passenger Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Police Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record A�� FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN24LA066.