Amateur-built RV-6 accident near Saint Paul, Minnesota, October 11, 2000
On October 11, 2000 at about 7:30 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-6, registered N796W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saint Paul, Minnesota (Lake Elmo Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The rudder tube failure, and aircraft control not possible during the flare by the pilot. A factor was the service bulletin not being complied with by the mechanic during the condition inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2000 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Saint Paul, Minnesota · Lake Elmo Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-6
- Registration
- N796W · registry record · serial 23066
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain during a landing. The pilot was uninjured. The pilot stated, "... Went out to do a few landings and after rounding out and 3 ft. above runway, my right rudder pedal failed causing my airplane to yaw left, strike left wingtip and cartwheel approx. 3 times before coming to rest on its gear." An on-scene examination revealed the right rudder pedal was separated from its cross tube. The airplane's condition inspection was performed on January 21, 2000. No entries indicating the compliance with SB 99-6-1 were found. A kit manufacturer's representative stated, "I researched the method by which we distribute service bulletins and, with each bulletin, we do a direct mailing to each customer, publish the SB in the newsletter and place it on our web site. If we are notified of change of ownership, we mail to the new owner. ... The SB would have gone to [the builder]." The builder stated, "I did not receive such bulletin. Had I, I certainly would have forwarded it to [the current owner]."
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 215 hours in all; 132 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 21, 2000; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 21D at 7:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,497 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from STP, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N796W 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.